Unforgivable Acts
by strdst
Summary: Harry's kidnapped from Privet Drive and it's up to Snape and the rest of the Order to save him. Not Abandoned! Just a little neglected. NOT HBP compliant. Rated for violence. No slash.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I own nothing but the plot and possibly some future characters and spells. The rating is going to go up as the story progresses. No slash. Just violence and some language. This is my first fic, so please R/R and let me know what you think. I'll try to update atleast once a week. Enjoy! 

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Harry woke in a panic in his bed on Privet Drive. But before he could remember the nightmare that woke him, a heavy fist crashed into his head and sent him spiraling into darkness.

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It had been two days since Mrs. Figg had seen her charge. The Dursley's were acting the same as always, except that Harry was nowhere to be found. Knowing that Petunia would relinquish no information about the boy, Mrs. Figg decided to owl her concerns to Professor Dumbledore. It didn't take a real witch to know something wasn't right. And this Squib learned long ago to trust her instincts. After the warning the wizards had given the Dursley's at the beginning of the summer, one would think they would take Harry's disappearance seriously and contact someone. But Mrs. Figg had neither seen nor heard anything out of the ordinary.

If felt like forever before Albus Dumbledore appeared in her kitchen. It had actually only been a couple hours.

"I've haven't seen any sign of him for two days, Albus. I'm so sorry. I should've been keeping a closer eye on him." Mrs. Figg's worry all came out in one big blurt while she walked towards the wizard so fast she nearly tripped over one of her cats.

"Calm down, Mrs. Figg. We'll get to the bottom of this." Just as he said "we", two loud CRACKS sounded behind him. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape apperated out of thin air into Mrs. Figg's kitchen. The commotion scared Mr. Tibbles so bad he jumped back and hissed at Snape. Severus just glared at the cat before turning his attention to what Dumbledore was saying.

"...we're going to talk to them right now. And I've got a dozen witches and wizards on stand by if we need help. I only hope the Dursley's have a good excuse for not contacting me as soon as the boy disappeared."

The anger in his voice echoed the rage Minerva was feeling towards the Dursley's. She was already thinking of curses to use on them if something had happened to Harry.

Professor Dumbledore reassured Mrs. Figg before heading towards the Dursley household with the witch and wizard following closely behind. He silently prayed that whatever delay the Dursley's had caused would not cost Harry his life.

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First, there was only black. Then a deep throbbing made his head feel as though it would explode. Wait a minute......everything was still black. Had he gone blind? Oh, he forgot to open his eyes. He immediately regretted opening the one that wasn't swollen shut. The bright lights made his head explode into a whole new wave of pain.

As Harry became accustomed to the sensation, he realized he couldn't move his hands or feet. And as he regained some of his senses, he noticed that he was sitting upright in what felt like a cold, stone chair. His arms were bound mercilessly behind the chair.

Something clammy touched the side of his face, causing him to jerk away in surprise. The fresh wave of nauseating pain immediately made him regret the sudden movement.

"Hey Crabbe. Looks like the Mighty Harry Potter is scared." The voice sounded like an older, deeper Goyle. _His father?_ guessed Harry. Harry tried to open his eye again, and the shock wasn't quite as bad as the first time. He could just barely make out two blurry shapes standing in front of him. It was then he realized he wasn't wearing his glasses. They were probably still sitting on his night stand at Privet Drive.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter." mocked a different voice. Harry assumed it came from Crabbe, Sr. "Someone would like a word with you before he presents you as a surprise to the Dark Lord." the oaffish voice continued.

At that moment, Harry heard a door creak on it's hinges as footsteps and a menacing chuckle entered the room. The hair on Harry's neck stood on end in fear and anticipation.

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Minerva couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Professor Dumbledore this enraged. The Dursley's cowered in a corner as Albus made clear the severity of their hesitation to act, while Professor Snape searched the boy's room for any clues about the boy's disappearance. Besides Harry's glasses and wand that were laying on the night stand and a smudge of blood on the boy's sheets, there was nothing to be found. Snape handed the glasses and wand to Professor Dumbledore while Minerva picked up the cage that contained a very hungry and upset Hedwig. They stood behind Dumbledore as he finished giving the Dursley's a verbal lashing. Then the three wizards disapperated, leaving the Dursley's alone, still shaking from the shock of the evening's events.

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I hope you enjoyed my first chapter:-)

Shameless Promo section: One of my absolute favorite fics is The Unexpected Friend by Questie. It's well worth reading.


	2. Chapter 2

I was on a roll, so I decided to go ahead an finish the second chapter. Hope you like. R/R please. 

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"Did you gentlemen properly welcome our guest?" Harry recognized the mocking voice of Lucius Malfoy. Lucius' cool skin lifted Harry's chin up. It's very difficult to look and feel brave with one eye completely swollen and dried blood caking your face, but Harry gave Lucius the best one-eyed glare he could muster. _Should I say 'Arghh', too?_ Humor had become Harry's survival tool. If he didn't make light of most everything, he was afraid he would crack and end up in St. Mungo's for life. Suicide had definitely passed through his thoughts on more than one occasion, but he had survived too much to give up now. Besides, that would guarantee Voldemort's victory, and he held too much contempt for that monster to even consider the thought. Not to mention, too many people had died trying to keep Harry alive for him to roll over and die. So he would suffer on.

"Did I not make myself clear!?! I specifically said he was to be presentable!" Lucius' voice echoed in the cold room, making it seem colder. "Clean off his face! And where are his glasses?! The master wants Harry to be able to see him. Goyle, go back to the house and retrieve his glasses. Crabbe, fetch some water to clean up his face."

Lucius leaned close enough for Harry to be able to clearly see his face. "You've had a nice rest, boy. Cherish it, because the next rest you have will be in the grave."

Quick as lightening, Lucius whipped out his wand, yelling "Crucio!" In the blink of an eye, Harry's world was enveloped in unbearable pain with a mixture of laughter and thousands of screams echoing throughout the room.

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Professor McGonagall was pacing the floor so hard, Severus would swear he could see a rut forming in the stone. They had apparated in the new Order of the Phoenix headquarters, which was a comfortable cottage that belonged to Minerva. The Order hadn't felt right disturbing Sirius Black's house after he had died. The cottage wasn't quite as large, but it was much more clean.

Minus the foreign members, the Order was complete when Remus Lupin finally arrived. Thus began the meeting.

They were all in the dining room of the cottage; some were sitting, most of them were standing and fidgeting, too worried to sit still.

"...All we know for sure is that Harry disappeared two nights ago. We know he did not go of his own accord because he never goes anywhere without his glasses or his wand." At that, many of the members suddenly noticed the items sitting on the table. A small sob escaped from Molly Weasley, prompting Arthur and Bill to put their arms around her shoulders.

"We are left with few options." continued Dumbledore. " I will do a Locator Spell with his wand, but if he's too far away, it won't be able to find him. Those of you working in the Ministry, keep your eyes and ears open around Lucius Malfoy and the other known Death Eaters in case they slip up and leak information. If any of them do anything out of the ordinary, alert me immediately. Mundungus,"... that name sparked something in McGonagall's memory. She finally remembered the last time she had seen Dumbledore so enraged. It was almost exactly a year ago when Mundungus had left his post on Privet Drive, allowing Dementors to nearly suck the souls out of Harry and his piggish cousin.

"... return to Privet Drive in case those responsible return for any reason. Severus, I need you to return and find out anything you can. You're our only inside link."

Severus didn't seem to react to this request. In fact, if you weren't staring at him with practiced eyes, you would miss the look of horror that briefly flickered in his eyes. He knew the Order was watching him; some failing miserably at hiding their looks of pity. At least the disgust was gone from their faces. Most of them had come to accept the fact that Dumbledore trusted him. Some of them were even beginning to trust him themselves. A small some, though. Most of the Order didn't particularly care for him, but they knew how valuable the information that he had access to was.

" The rest of you go about your lives as though nothing is wrong, but be alert. I will inform you as soon as we know anything."

The wizards began milling around in the dining room, though the worry hung thick in the air. Suddenly, Fawkes swooped in and dropped a letter on the table in front of Dumbledore. Albus picked it up and unrolled the parchment. The scribble read:

" Headmaster Dumbledore,

I have herd sum bad things about Harry Potter. I

culd not fynd yu, so I sendt Fawks. It is veri urgint!

- Dobby"

Professor Dumbledore handed the note to Minerva as he stood.

"If everyone who is able could please wait here, I will return soon, hopefully with information on Harry's whereabouts." With that, Albus Dumbledore Disapparated.

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Harry felt Lucius end the Cruciatus Curse, but the echo of pain continued to tear through his body. His screams had faded, but he couldn't stop the tears from running down his face.

All he desired was sleep. That sweet blackness that swallowed. Now all he had was the black. The pain was very much there. Before Lucius exited, he had given Harry a little present. A Sleepless Curse, to make real his threat. Now the Boy-Who-Lived was the also the Boy-Who-Is-Awake. Harry chuckled to himself at that thought. _Wow, the more my delirium grows, the worse my puns get._

Harry sat in the absolute dark on the cold, hard chair, letting his mind wander as the protests of his battered body swallowed him. The only thought that would come to his restless mind was of eternal peace: Death.

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Hoped you liked the second chapter. Please review. Let me know what you think of Dobby's writing skills. I figured no one would take much time to teach a House Elf how to write very well.


	3. Chapter 3

Dumbledore prayed that Dobby's information would be useful and accurate. The man's heart grew heavy as he thought of how many times he had already failed the boy for whom he cared so much about. It wasn't right for a boy, not quite sixteen, to have already gone through multiple lifetimes worth of suffering. This man had failed at protecting the boy. If only he could take away the boy's pain. If only he could change this boy's destiny, make him a normal boy with a family who loved him. Harry should be living a carefree, happy teenage life, but instead this child had been marked, since birth, for a life of torment and suffering._ But I should have been able to save him from it. Or at least to keep his suffering from growing._ thought Dumbledore. 

The realization that he was finally outside of Hogwarts' kitchen broke Dumbledore from his thoughts. Before he could turn the knob on the heavy wooden door, Dobby appeared in front of him.

"Headmaster. Glad you came so quickly. Very important. Poor Harry Potter. He MUST be saved!!"

"Slow down, Dobby. We must discuss this in my office." Dumbledore walked to a large portrait of the squid in the lake and said," Lemonade.", causing the portrait to swing forward, revealing a staircase. Dumbledore always knew this secret stairway would be very useful for more that just getting midnight snacks.

They quickly reached the top and came out from behind a bookshelf in the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore sat behind the desk and motioned for Dobby to take a seat. The house elf started to sit, but then jumped up, too agitated to sit still.

"Tell me what happened, Dobby."

"Well, sir. Dobby was out picking up supplies for Hogwarts when I overheard another elf muttering to himself. This elf took my place at my old master's house after brave Harry Potter freed me. This elf was saying, 'Can't let him do this to Harry Potter. But Master will kill me, if I disobey him. Poor Harry Potter. Wish I could stop Master.' After that, he disappeared and Dobby came immediately to find you."

"And I'm very glad you did, Dobby. I believe Harry is in very grave danger as we speak, and this information could help us find him."

With that, Professor Dumbledore dismissed Dobby and walked outside school grounds so he could disapparate back to the Order.

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Mundungus Fletcher and a handful of order members had returned to their posts after Dumbledore left. The remaining members paced and fretted, counting the seconds that Dumbledore was gone.

"We should be out looking for Harry! Not just sitting here twiddling our thumbs." blurted Bill Weasley. His long hair was falling out of its ponytail from him shaking his head while he paced and mumbled to himself.

"And where do you propose we start?" retorted Snape. "The boy could only be ANYWHERE!! Wait, I know, why don't we just start going door-to-door asking people if they've seen a boy with a strange scar on his forehead and happens to be a wizard?!"

"Severus, that's enough." Minerva put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples, as if willing off an ensuing headache.

At that moment, Hagrid burst in the front door.

"I came as soon as I could. Have you figured anything out?" The giant was red-eyed, like he'd been crying. The giant sniffled and picked up the door that had fallen to the floor. He muttered a spell and a golden light flashed out of his umbrella, placing the door back on its hinges.

"Not yet, Hagrid. We're waiting for Dumbledore to return from talking to Dobby. Dobby sent Fawkes with a letter saying he'd heard some news about Harry." explained Arthur Weasley. Worry had aged his face at least ten years in the past few hours since they'd first heard Harry was missing. Molly wasn't doing much better. Suddenly, she stood straight up.

"What about Ron and Hermoine?! Could they be in danger, too?"

"Dumbledore's already taken care of that." replied McGonagall. "Kingsley has the night off, so Dumbledore sent him to keep an eye on Hermoine."

"And Charlie is going to bring Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George when he comes in a little while." added Bill. At that moment, Dumbledore apparated in the room. Everyone looked at him expectantly.

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Goyle grumbled to himself as he apparated amongst the shrubs in back of Number Four, Privet Drive. It was a dark, moonless night and he was wearing his Death Eaters robe, which helped camouflage him, even though he didn't have the hood up. But he cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself anyways. He tromped around the Dursley's house until he was standing under the window of the small extra bedroom the Dursley's had begrudgedly given to Harry. Pointing his wand at himself, he muttered "Wingardium Leviosa," and floated up to the window. It was unlocked, so he lifted it up and squeezed in. He would've preferred to apparate in, but he knew the noise would wake the Dursley's and he didn't want them telling Dumbledore someone had been there. "Lumos." He lit his wand to a small beam of light as he searched the room for the boy's glasses. The beam swept over the nightstand, dresser, bed, then the floor. Nothing. The glasses were nowhere to be found. He looked up and suddenly noticed a face looking at his light through the window. "Shit!!"

"Stupefy!" he yelled at it, but the man moved out of the way as the window broke into shards. Goyle ran to look out the window when the door of the bedroom flew open and Vernon yelled, "What the devil!?!?"

Goyle pointed the wand towards him and shouted "Stupefy!" Vernon fell to the floor and moved no more. Goyle turned back to the window, but saw no one. With that, he disapparated just as Petunia ran over to Vernon, screaming.

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Mundungus apparated into Headquarters just as Albus Dumbledore finished telling the Order what Dobby had said.

"A Death Eater was at Potter's house tonight. He stupefied one of the Muggles. Vernon, I think."

"Bloody Hell!!!!" exclaimed Bill.

Who was it? And is he still there?" Dumbledore asked as he stood.

"I think it was Goyle, sir. But I'm not positive. It was dark and he cast a Disillusionment Charm right after he apparated in the yard. He left after he stupefied Dursley."

"Minerva, Tonks, and Arthur, come with me. The rest of you, be prepared to confront Malfoy when we return."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Sorry it took me so long to update. I had a bought with writer's block of some form. This chapter is shorter than I hoped, but I'm still rather pleased with it. I hope you guys like it. Please R/R. I LOVE hearing what you think. 

Oh.... the spells in this chapter are my creations. Everything else but the plot belongs to J.K. Rowling.

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Absolute darkness. All Harry Potter could see was absolute darkness. There were no windows in the room, and the only door Harry had seen was tightly fitted into its frame, permitting not even a sliver of light to creep in. The darkness made the pain worse. From the throbbing that engulfed his head, to his shoulders screaming at him from his arms being tied behind his back, to his bones and muscles aching from fatigue and the Cruciatus Curse, he hurt. Harry begged and pleaded with his brain to allow the darkness to swallow his mind, but it could not. So he sat there. And for what seemed like an eternity, he did nothing but feel the aches of his body and allow his mind to go numb to everything, even the imaginary sounds that licked at the edge of his mind.

Wait, were those voices real? No, it's just my imagination. But there they were again. Did he really hear someone outside the door? They were getting louder. They had to be real! Harry's heart jumped at the thought of something to break the darkness and silence. But it immediately fell again as he remembered what was going on. The pain and exhaustion had twisted his mind around until he had forgotten about being kidnapped and his future appointment with Voldemort. His blood ran cold with this thought, causing him to shiver uncontrollably. Panic gripped him and his breathing became labored. Harry hoped he would faint as the room started to spin, but peace never came. After a moment, he regained control of his breathing, but was unable to stop shivering. The movement rekindled the fire that was ebbing throughout his body.

The realization that the voices were drawing nearer made Harry fight to regain his composure. He refused to let his captors see him buckle under the fear.

"A true Gryffindor indeed. Brave to the end." said a voice. The thing that worried Harry the most about the voice was that he was almost positive it was inside his head. And it was quite different from the jumbled, delirium-induced voices. It was loud and clear. But whose voice was it? He sat in the dark, half expecting the voice to reply. Maybe he truly is going insane.

A sudden rush of light sliced into Harry's thoughts. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, the bright light felt like it was burning them. He put his head down as far as he could, but between his arms being bound behind him and his back screaming out of stiffness, it wasn't enough to spare his eyes from the rude light. Harry knew someone was standing inside the door, but his eyes demanded all of his attention at the moment. After a couple of minutes, the searing pain subsided to a dull ache, so he cracked his left eye open to just a sliver. His right eye was still too swollen to open, though he could feel the cold room gradually reducing the puffiness. Of course, he wasn't sure the dried blood covering it would permit movement. He lifted his head as he managed to open his eye wider. He guessed the silhouette in the door was Malfoy, but before he could focus on more closely, it raised its wand and said, "Creaco Abolla!" As a blindfold wrapped itself around his head, Harry wondered why Lucius hadn't said anything to him. No threats or insults. This thought hollowed out Harry's already very empty stomach. He was afraid Malfoy's lack of verbalization meant something worse was coming.

Harry heard more footsteps approach and enter the room. Then rough hands grabbed his shoulders and yanked him off the chair. It took all of Harry's willpower to keep from yelling out as his stiff body protested. He didn't want to give his captors that satisfaction.

"Just to make sure he doesn't try to run. Brachio!" As Lucius finished the curse, Harry felt the bones in his right shin snap. This time he did yell out as he fell forward. His face would've smacked the floor if the pair of hands hadn't continued to hold onto his shoulders. Harry barely felt the warm breath on his ear through the pain.

"We're moving closer to our final destination. We'll be early, but I don't think that will ruin the surprise that's awaiting your arrival." Harry heard two chuckles sound behind him as Lucius drew away from his ear. With that, Harry was half carried, half dragged, which ever his captors thought would be most painful at the time, to a destination unknown.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Hey you guys. Thank you sooooo much for reviewing. I really appreiciate hearing what you think. Feel free to give me any suggestions you have. I finally made my chapters longer. :-) I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had a blast writting it. Enjoy. 

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Harry had no idea how many flights of stairs he had been dragged up or how many halls his captors had taken him down. But he had a feeling they hadn't left the building he had woken up in.

"We have to clean up his face before we meet the others." Lucius stated as they came to a stop. Harry's numbing shoulders protested the hands that pulled him to the right. His leg felt like thousands of needles were stabbing into the broken bones every time his foot rubbed on the floor.

"Remove the blindfold." Malfoy commanded as a thick arm grabbed Harry  
around the waist. As soon as the blindfold was off, another hand grabbed his hair and pushed his face into ice cold water while the arm around his waist held him up. The shock of the cold rekindled the fire that enshrouded his head. The thought of never coming up from the water danced across his mind. Oh, the peace of death. But as his lungs began to scream for air, panic gripped him. He still possessed a will to live. There was hope yet.

Just as he thought his lungs were going to force him to gulp down water, the hand holding his hair jerked him upright. Before he could complete his first gasp, another hand pressed a rough cloth against his bloody face and scrubbed none too gently. Harry began to envision himself as the Boy-With-No-Skin as his tender face was nettled by his captors. He felt as though his face was bruised through to his skull.

"Rinse it again." With that, Harry's face was forced into the water again. Just as before, they held him there until his lungs threatened to burst, then they yanked him up. As Harry gulped in as much air as possible, he caught a glimpse of Crabbe standing just in front of him, beside the sink his face had been emersed in. The towel was at Harry's face again before he could take in too much. Once his face was dry, the blindfold was returned and he was once more being dragged to his doom.

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The four wizards apparated inside the kitchen on Privet Drive to avoid attracting any attention to the house. Dumbledore led the way upstairs to find an hysterical Petunia and Dudley weeping over Vernon.

"Minerva, Tonks, move them back. Arthur, make sure we don't have any visitors." Petunia gasped through her sobs at the sound of Dumbledore's voice. Instinctively, she grabbed Dudley and began to cower away.

"We're here to help, Petunia." Albus soothingly spoke as McGonagall and Tonks walked up to the muggles and gently pulled them back while speaking in low, calm voices. Arthur Weasley walked around the group and began to survey the damage in the small, second bedroom. Dumbledore pulled a vile out of his robes as he bent over to examine the incapacitated man.

"What are you going to do with that?!" Dudley inquired protectively, stepping forward, ready to prevent any more magic from being used on his father.

"Trying to save his life." stated Dumbledore matter-of-factly as Petunia shushed the boy and Tonks gently pulled him back. Dumbledore poured the contents of the bottle into Dursley's mouth, then levitated the man down the hall and into his bed. All the while, Arthur had fixed the window and cleaned up any signs of the night's events as the witches managed to calm the remaining Dursley's.

"Did you see who did this?" asked Professor Dumbledore as he returned to the hallway.

"No." Petunia and Dudley answered in unison.

" I'm sorry this happened. Vernon will be fine when he wakes up in the morning. And we are working to get to the bottom of this." With that, Dumbledore cast two Memory Charms and the four wizards disapparated before the muggles could regain their senses. The wizards apparated just outside the house.

"Tonks, stay here with Mrs. Figg and Mundungus until I send someone else to patrol. Arthur, I need you to make sure the Ministry doesn't find out about this until after we find Harry, if at all. I'm afraid they would blame him with no regard to the circumstances. Report to me as soon as you can. Minerva and I will return to Headquarters."

After that, the only sound that broke the night's silence was the "Crack" of the wizards disapparating to their separate destinations.

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The two professors returned to a group of worried, anxious faces. Except Severus Snape. His face was an unreadable mask as usual. Hagrid and Molly Weasley were both red-eyed and sniffling. Remus Lupin looked the most worn and sallow. His already pale complexion was now a most unhealthy grayish tint.

Dumbledore mentally debated with himself before allowing the increasing weight on his heart persuade him to sit down. He was thankful the others hadn't bombarded him with questions. He rubbed his temples, then looked up, focusing on Snape.

"Severus, would Voldemort have summoned you if he was planning on something like this?" Dumbledore received a nod as an answer. "Would Lucius Malfoy have told you if he was planning anything?"

"No, probably not. Unless he needed my help."

"Do you think he would grow suspicious if you decided to visit unannounced?" Albus felt like he almost had a plan. It would be easier to think if he could empty his thoughts into the pensieve, but he hadn't thought to get it while he was at Hogwarts', and there was no time to retrieve it now. Severus' reply interrupted his thoughts. "...but if he is behind this, and he suspects that you're onto him, then he would probably figure out that I'm spying. And then he'd kill me."

It was the fact that Severus said that last sentence with no emotion that worried McGonagall the most. She knew he put on an apathetic front most of the time, but where did the front end and the real apathy begin? After knowing him this long, and being one of the closest things he had to a real friend, it unnerved Minerva that she still couldn't read him accurately. Some days, he was easy to read, almost like a normal person. But usually, he was like trying to decipher a nonexistent language.

"An open confrontation with Malfoy right now would only make things worse. We've only just gained some of the Ministry's confidence. Anything drastic will turn them completely against us. Severus, can you go to Voldemort without being summoned?"

"I never have before, so to do so now would be suspicious."

"Then I'll need you to go to Malfoy Mansion. Sneak in if you need to. We have to find Harry. Do you need my Invisibility Cloak?" Severus nodded. It never hurt to have one. He took the roll of cloth Professor Dumbledore retrieved from the folds of his robe, then disapparated despite the dread building up in the pit of his stomach.

After Severus left, Dumbledore turned back to the remaining Order members. They had been extremely patient and calm, but Albus knew they could only contain their nervous energy for so long.

"Before you start asking questions: Alastor, I need you to relieve Tonks of her position watching the Dursley's on Privet Drive. You'll be able to keep an eye on things easier than she will." Mad-Eye Moody disapparated after a short nod to Dumbledore. Then the headmaster turned back those remaining.

"All right. Thank you for waiting. Now you can ask all the questions you want." Immediately, a flood of questions filled the room.

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Severus had been to Malfoy Mansion enough times to know almost every nook and cranny. He apparated in the woods, just out of view of the manor. Throwing the Invisibility Cloak over himself, he began walking towards the small castle. Just being in this place weighed heavy on his heart. He had watched Malfoy and other Death Eaters kill and torture witches and wizards in these woods. He also knew the horrors that occurred in the dungeon below the house. Just the memories made him want to turn and run. But he knew the boy would be in the dungeons, if he was there. And a small voice in the back of his mind told him the boy was here. After spending years as a spy, he'd learned to listen to that voice.

It had been a dark night, but dawn was now approaching, casting a gray glow over everything. Severus was thankful for the cloak. Once he reached the edge of the lawn, Snape levitated himself so he wouldn't leave any footprints on the grass. There was a large fountain in the yard on that side of the mansion. It looked a little out of place, being back where almost nobody would see it. But those who didn't understand its purpose usually assumed it was just one of the rich family's ways of being eccentric. Only Death Eaters knew of the portkeys that resided in its large basin. There were three portkeys, each one leading to a different section of the dungeon.

The gold medallion transfered its user to the medieval torture chamber, which boasted an antique instruments collection that had been added to and passed down by each generation for hundreds of years. The thought of it made Severus' spine chill. He knew all too well what most of those instruments did. Imagining them being used on Harry washed a strong wave of nausea over the man.

Quickly moving on, Severus looked for the other two portkeys. He found the seashell that led to the prisoner cells. They resembled most dungeon cells; chains and cages hanging on the walls being the decoration of choice. The rats and spiders loved these rooms.

Finally, he searched for the small skull portkey that connected to the interrogation rooms. There were only two of these rooms, both of them dark and cold. They each had only a single, stone chair and served but one purpose: to break the mind. Severus had seen too many great wizards be reduced to babbling idiots in these rooms, including the Longbottoms. If he had found out in time, he might have been able to save them. But he didn't arrive until after their minds had already been ruined. Guilt ate at him every time he looked at Neville.

The skull was nowhere to be found. That could mean only one thing. Someone was using the interrogation rooms right now. The hollow pit in Severus' stomach grew at the thought of Harry sitting in one of those rooms for almost four days. His mind would most likely be mush after that amount of time. Severus grabbed the seashell. Since the cells were furthest away from the interrogation rooms, he hoped he would be less likely to be caught. The next second, he felt the familiar tug of the portkey transporting him to the dark destination.

Snape almost lost the Invisibility Cloak when he appeared outside the group of cells. Even with the dim light of sparsely placed torches, Severus knew there was nobody in any of the cells. Lucius really hadn't used the dungeon since Voldemort's fall. But, apparently, he was quickly developing his taste for it again, if this was indeed where he brought the Potter boy. Severus stealthily walked down the hall he vividly remembered from his past. The stench of blood, dirt, and death still hung heavy in the stale air. Severus' stomach retched at this familiar smell. It was almost too overwhelming. The only thing that kept Severus walking through that dungeon was the urgent need to save Harry. He prayed that he wasn't too late. Or that they had finished off the boy quickly and painlessly. Like that was reasonable. He had to remember he was dealing with nothing short of monsters.

Up a few flights of stairs and Severus was in front of the torture room. He continued quickly, not even wanting to look in the room for fear of seeing blood on the walls and instruments. Nothing but more dark, silent halls greeted the wizard. He finally arrived one hall away from the interrogation rooms. He paused and listened. Nothing but silence met his ears. He slowly peeked around the corner, and after seeing no one, crept up to the doors. Both were standing wide open. Severus dimly lit his wand and checked the first room. It appeared that nothing but cobwebs had occupied that room. He walked into the second room, and immediately saw drops of blood leading from the door to the stone chair in the middle of the room. His heart dropped through the floor at the sight of this. Whoever they'd had in there had been moved. Severus put his hand on the seat of the chair. It was still warm. His heart jumped up slightly. They had just recently left. Maybe he could still find them. He rushed out of the room and raced up the stone stairs. He stopped just short of the top flight upon hearing footsteps in the hall ahead of him. He tried to calm his rapid breathing as he crept up the last flight. Just as he peeked his head around the corner of the landing, he saw Malfoy leading the way as Crabbe, and Goyle dragged a blindfolded Harry to the end of the hall. Before he could react, Lucius picked up what appeared to be a dead or stuffed rat, and the portkey whisked them away. Severus had finally found the boy, only to have him stolen away seconds later.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: I am sooooooo sorry it took me so long to update. Please forgive me. I know this chapter is short, but I REALLY wanted to update. I promise I'll have the next, much longer, chapter up by the end of the weekend. Thank you sooooooooo much for all your reviews. They are fuel for my fire. Please keep 'em coming. I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's short. Love to all. 

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Harry felt the pull of a portkey suddenly jerk him through time and space. Next thing he knew, he was spilling out onto the hard, merciless ground, his captors having lost their grip on him in the transition. Not that it mattered. Between being blindfolded, bound, and sporting a broken leg, he was thoroughly immobilized. He wouldn't get anywhere trying to push around the ground on his face and stomach with his one good leg.

"Take off his blindfold. He needs to be able to see where he's spending his last hours alive." Lucius commanded the two oafs that were peeling the boy off the ground. As soon as the cloth was off, Lucius said, " Oculus Replaco" and a pair of glasses identical to Harry's appeared in the air and placed themselves on the boy's face. Once his eyes grew accustomed to having glasses again, Harry looked at his surroundings. The smirks on Crabbe and Goyle's faces told him he should recognize the quaint house. It was a nice house, but the weathered look of the paint and roof told him no one had been taking care of it for a long time. Harry felt certain the dark inside would be home to nothing more than rodents and cobwebs. Something tugged at the back of his mind as he looked at the house, but he couldn't think of why it looked familiar. The exhaustion and hunger clouding every inch of his mind didn't help. The only thing he'd had since he'd woken up in the stone room was some water every now and then. He was beginning to lose more than his concept of time. Now he wasn't even sure his name was Harry. As he stared at the house, his eyes began to lose their ability to focus.

"Um, he's beginning to look alittle glazed over, Lucius." pointed out Crabbe. Malfoy pulled himself out of his newly formulating plots and glared at the boy. Harry's eyes were now beginning to cross as well as being completely glossed.

" Perhaps we were too hasty to break his mind. Of course, one would expect the infamous Harry Potter to last longer than this. Anyways, the Dark Lord would be greatly displeased if he arrived to nothing more than a vegetable. Besides, his senses will be much sharper after a good sleep. He'll be a new canvas for Voldemort to get creative with." At that, Crabbe and Goyle sneered. They were thinking of all the fun a fresh slate could provide. The Sleep Charm Malfoy performed enveloped Harry's mind and body with a warm blue light, carrying him from a thick gray fog into beautiful, empty darkness. Blessed oblivion.

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Severus sank to the cold floor, weary from worry and hopelessness. He couldn't return to the Order just to inform them that he'd found and lost the boy in a matter of seconds. To make matters worse, he had no idea where they had taken Harry. Severus sat there, trying to think if he'd seen or heard of any Death Eaters using a rat portkey. They would often use one item for a certain location to decrease confusion. For example, any snake portkeys led to the main hall of the Dark Lord's lair. Spider portkeys connected to a spot deep in the forest that was one of Voldemort's favorite killing spots. Snape had come to believe it was his favorite due to the cliff that overlooked the sharp, blood-soaked rocks that caught most of his victims. The memory of the hellish location and its rituals plagued Severus with a wave of nausea. It was a good thing he was already sitting down. He was thankful the three Death Eaters had picked up neither a snake, nor a spider. But a rat? The only thing that came to mind was Peter Pettigrew. But would Malfoy really let that rat in on any part of his plans? It was doubtful, but it was all Severus had to go on. He had to at least check it out. Besides, Lucius would do anything for the sheer pleasure of torturing another person, especially if that person was Harry Potter.

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Professor McGonagall spent the hour since Severus left gathering the ingredients Albus needed to make the locator potion he would use along with the locator spell. The spell alone had begun to work on Harry's wand, then it suddenly stopped, indicating the boy had moved out of the spell's reach. But with the potion to enhance the spell, they might be able to find him yet. But Minerva worried that the amount of time it would take the potion to brew and then work, might be more than Harry had left. She silently prayed that Severus was having better luck.

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It was a sad day when Snape's best lead was Pettigrew. Just the thought of that slimey rat repulsed Severus. He hated everything that man represented: cowardice, dishonesty, betrayal. That was, if you could even consider him a man. Severus preferred to think of him as a pusillanimous, overgrown sea monkey. Pettigrew's sole purpose to his existence was to weasel his way to the top. But Severus knew he would soon get his comeuppance. And he prayed that he would be the one to deliver it. Until then, he was forced to sneak around Pettigrew and try to locate Harry before Pettigrew or anyone else could lay their filthy paws on the boy. Having made up his mind, Professor Severus Snape left the dungeons of Malfoy Manor and disapparated to the sewers of Peter Pettigrew.

Okay, so he didn't live in an actual sewer, but the filthy shack Severus apparated to was close enough. There wasn't a living plant within one-hundred yards of the dilapidated building, if you could call it a building. Severus was sure that the only thing holding it together was magic. The walls were mazed with cracks and the roof was so riddled with holes, it was practically nonexistent. Sitting on the air was the stale scent of mold, dirt, and, lord knows, Severus didn't want to know what else. If the stink was this bad outside the yard, Severus could only imagine how bad it would be close to and inside the house. He was positive he'd guessed wrong. Lucius would never come near this trash heap. But he couldn't leave now. It was the only idea he had. Snape made sure the Invisibility Cloak was concealing all of him, then cast a No Smell Charm on his nose and headed toward the shack. The sun was well above the horizon, but Severus sensed no movement inside the house. The rat probably slept all day.

As Severus drew nearer to the door, a ball of dread grew in his stomach. Something didn't seem right, but until he figured it out, he would just have to keep going. He couldn't waste any time, it could prove deadly for Harry. Upon reaching the door, Severus found Stealth Sensoring Spells around the door and windows, so he settled for levitating down through a hole in the roof. For having such an open roof, the inside of the house was surprisingly dark. Of course, light probably had a hard time passing through all the dust and cobwebs that filled the house. The insides consisted of a small kitchen, one bathroom and a bedroom. The bottom of the bedroom wall had a few rat-sized holes, probably ways Pettigrew snuck in and out without being noticed. Severus crept toward the bed, hoping to curse Pettigrew before he woke up, but all he found was an empty bed. This didn't completely surprise Snape. It wasn't uncommon for the rat to leech a room in Voldemort's castle. Besides, why return to this dump when he could stay in a bedroom twice the size of the entire shack.

Severus turned and stepped into the kitchen. He spotted a parchment laying on the crate he could only assume was supposed to be a table. As he drew nearer, he realized it was a map. Finally, maybe fate was going to help him out a little. In the dim light, he could see a spot circled on the map, but he couldn't make out the name.

"Lumos." He whispered. A dim light emitted from the end of his wand. He gasped at the name. Then everything went black.

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Again, sorry that was short. And I hope my grammar/spelling wasn't too bad. My editor had too much studying to do. Please R/R. Thanks again to all my reviewers. I promise I'll update sooner.


	7. Chapter 7

The darkness melted into a dim, silvery light. It was cool, but comfortable. Even refreshing. _Where am I?_ Harry wondered. There was nothing but silver. Harry felt as though he was standing, yet there was no ground to support him. Suddenly, a voice echoed faintly around him. 

"Harry." Who was calling him? A shadow emerged to his right. The voice sounded familiar, but Harry still couldn't place it. As the unknown figure continued closer, Harry felt no fear or apprehension. _What's going on? _

"Harry." His name echoed once again throughout the silvery realm. The shadow figure had moved to the other side of Harry.

"Who are you? Where are we?" Harry asked as he turned to face the silhouette. With a sudden gust of wind, the figure was directly in front of him. Harry gasped at who he saw!

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The first thing Snape noticed was the throbbing that engulfed his entire head. The second was that he was still in Pettigrew's shack. Only now his mobility was restricted and Peter's ugly mug was his only view.

"I've finally got you, Snivellus." Pettigrew spat at him. "I suspected you were being disloyal to our Master. Now I've finally caught you in the act."

"What are you talking about?" Severus managed. His ears ringing, making concentration on the present situation very difficult. How had Pettigrew managed to sneak up on and stun him? The filthy rat had never before possessed any sense of stealth. Not even as a sneaky rat. Perhaps Voldemort had cast some sort of spell on him. Severus didn't think Peter had the skill to perform a charm like that himself. And whatever binding charm Pettigrew had cast on him was probably weak and would most likely wear off before too long, Severus guessed. But then Dumbledore's words rang in his head.

'The worst mistake you can make is to underestimate your enemy, Severus." Perhaps that conversation with the Headmaster had been useful. It was possible that Voldemort had helped Pettigrew expand his powers. Severus had certainly learned a lot from Voldemort. Nevertheless, he still saw Peter Pettigrew as a bumbling, cowardly idiot. But perhaps some caution would be wise. He wouldn't be of any use to Harry if he was dead.

Pettigrew's silver fist clobbering the side of his head wrenched Severus out of his thoughts.

"Are you gonna pay attention now?! You always thought you were so much better than me, Snivellus. But you're not. James Potter knew it, and now Lord Voldemort does. That's why he trusts me with his work. He's been suspicious of you for a long time, and now I've got proof. And I know he'll give me the honor of killing you after he's made you pay for your betrayal."

"Again.....what are you talking about?" Severus really needed to know what Pettigrew thought he knew, but it would be too suspicious if he used Occlumency on the rat. Only a very select few knew how advanced his abilities were, and Voldemort was definitely not one of them.

"Don't act stupid with me! And don't patronize me!! You ALWAYS look down on me! But I knew you'd be looking for that Potter brat after Lucius took him. That's why I left the map on the table. It was also my idea to use a rat portkey. I knew you wouldn't return to Dumbledore empty-handed. You'd keep searching."

_Oh shit. I underestimated him. _Thought Severus. But aloud he said, " What are you talk about, me reporting to Dumbledore. I just heard that the little bastard had gone missing. I wanted in on the fun. I knew Lucius would do it right."

"You're lying! You're a spy! I know you're a spy/"

"I have been nothing but loyal to our Dark Lord. I have been giving him information about Dumbledore. Anything I learn about Dumbledore's plans, I relay to Lord Voldemort. You know that. You're usually there."

A look of uncertainty passed on Pettigrew's face. But it soon passed.

"No. I'm not going to let you trick me. And I'm going to show you the punishment for betrayal."

Before Severus could object to the accusations, Pettigrew's silver hand lifted its wand and a bright red flame erupted from the wand's tip as Pettigrew shouted his curse. Severus ducked his head, but the spell still hit his square enough to cut into his forehead and cheeks along with the thousands of lacerations now ripping up the rest of his body. Some were as small as paper cuts, but others were deep enough that, had he been a Muggle, they'd have needed stitched. Wizards had alternatives to stitches, but Snape doubted that Pettigrew was interested in healing him. The cuts hurt like hell, but Severus had been through worse. It wasn't the pain, but the bleeding that worried him now.

"You know, I've got some friends that would love to make your acquaintance." Pettigrew said in a strange, almost distant voice. "Ah. They're on their way. Your blood has called to them." At that, Severus could hear the pitter-patter of little feet. It sounded like there were maybe hundreds of them approaching through the tunnels Severus saw in the bedroom. Suddenly, a flood of rats crashed into the room.

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"Is it really you, Sirius?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"It is very much me." Sirius replied with a huge grin lighting his face.

"Then I'm dead. They've finally killed me. Voldemort's won."

"No Harry. You're still alive and kickin'."

"But how can I be talking to you?" Harry was getting more and more confused.

"Because I'm not dead either..."

"But I saw you fall into the veil." Interrupted Harry. "Everyone said you were dead."

"I don't know how I'm not dead, Harry. But I know I'm not. I'm in some sort of bizarre limbo. I think. And it's apparently close enough to your mental plane that I can reach you when you're in a very deep sleep."

"How do I get you out?"

"I haven't figured that out yet. But don't worry about me, Harry. You need to hang in there. Help is on the way. Do your best to stall those buffoons. But do not do anything rash or stupid. If they're pushed too hard, they'll kill you themselves. Once you wake up, it's going to be very hard. But don't give up. Help is coming. Once you're safe and well, then you can talk to Dumbledore about me. But remember, I'm in no danger. You are." With that, Sirius and the silver light began fading.

"Hang in there, Harry." That last thought echoed through Harry's head as he was suddenly jerked awake.

"That's enough. Time to wake up and prepare to meet Lord Voldemort for the final time." Crabbe and Goyle were yanking Harry up off the ground as Lucius spoke. Harry lifted his head and a wave of nausea rolled over his stomach as he looked at the house again. He leaned forward and threw up the water and bile that occupied his stomach. He finally recognized that house. It was the house Voldemort had murdered his parents in.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: Hey everybody. I am soooooooooooooooooooooo sorry it took me so long to update. At Thanksgiving, I had family here, and then I had to baby-sit my cousins in Fla. Then I got my wisdom teeth out. OUCH!!!!! NO FUN!!!!!!! Anyone who's had them removed will understand. I did nothing but sleep for 4 days. Except when I went to see LOTR:-) Anyways, then came Christmas, then New Year's, so I just haven't been able to update. Plus, I've had some REALLY bad writer's block, so I apologize ahead of time that this chapter is so short and not as good as I'd like it to be. Anywho, please R/R. And if you have any suggestions, any at all, feel free to make them. I'm open to any ideas. I've kinda lost sight of where my story is going, so where do all of you see it going? Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and THANK YOU for all the reviews I've gotten. They really do help.  
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Severus closed his eyes, waiting for the feast to begin. He knew what would happen. He'd seen rats devour the flesh of one of the Death Eater's captives in Malfoy's dungeon. Just as he felt the first small creature jump on his blood-soaked clothes, there was a loud CRACK, and the rat flew off of him. Severus opened his eyes to see all the rats lying dead and Bellatrix Lestrange apparated into the room.

"What the HELL is going on?!" she yelled, looking back and forth between Severus and Peter.

"Pettigrew, have you completely lost your mind, you pathetic rat? Voldemort would murder you if he knew you'd tried to kill Severus."

"But he's a traitor! A spy!" Pettigrew argued.

"Shut up, Peter. Severus, are you okay?"

"He's put a binding spell on me." At that, Bella recited the spell's reversal and offered Severus her hand to steady him as he stood up.

"Don't help him, Bella! He's spying for Dumbledore." Pettigrew pointed his wand at Severus, ready to finish him now, regardless of the consequences.

"I said 'Shut up!'" With that, a blast of yellow light shot Pere's wand out of his silver hand. Bella immediately followed with a silencing and binding spell on Peter, so he stood completely still and silent, with a panicked expression across his face. As she did that, Snape walked around the kitchen until he found his wand. He pointed it at himself and muttered two spells: one to stop his bleeding, and one to replace his ruined robes. While Bella was still preoccupied, Severus quickly glanced at the map again, to make sure he had read it correctly. It read the same. His heart beat sped up at the thought of what Malfoy could possibly be doing to Harry.

Bella, satisfied that Peter couldn't kill anyone at the moment, turned back to Severus.

"Again, what the hell is going on here?" She asked, her patience growing thin.

"I've been trying to find where Malfoy took that Potter brat. I want to be there when Lucius gets his revenge for being sent to Azkaban."

"And Pettigrew here flipped out because.....?" Bella asked, eyebrows raised.

"For some reason, he thinks I've betrayed our Lord."

"Okay. Deal with it later. Right now, Voldemort wants you, Pettigrew." Bella informed the fearful mass standing statue-still behind her. "I'm going to take the spell off and we're going to return to him with no trouble. Got it?" Pettigrew whimpered a reply she assumed was 'yes'. Pettigrew knew there was nothing he could do about Severus now that he'd lost the element of suprise. He was going to have to trick Snape into slipping up.

Suddenly Severus drew in his breath silently, as the familiar burning engulfed his arm.

"He's calling me, too. I'll meet you there." With that, Severus dissaparated, leaving Bellatrix and Peter to follow.

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As the dry heaving subsided, Harry thought about the moments leading up to now. He had been taken from his room on Privet Drive, left in an empty dungeon room for a countless number of days, and then brought to the house his parents had been murdered in so he could join them in the grave. He had no way to escape due to his broken leg and absent wand. That left him cold, hungry and too weak to pick up his wand even if he did have it. His magic was useless. But Sirius had said help was on the way. At this point though, Harry wasn't sure if it had really been Sirius, or just a very sick trick of his mind. He was beginning to believe it was the latter.

"Oh Harry. Don't look so bleak. The real fun hasn't even begun yet." purred Lucius, with a very demented glimmer in his eyes. "We have a lot of games planned for you. You do like games, don't you? What boy wouldn't?"

Crabbe and Goyle were chuckling as the group moved around to the back of the house.

"Leave him there." instructed Lucius, pointing at a tree stump. Crabbe dropped Harry on it and cast a binding spell on him.

"Don't want you wandering off before the festivities begin." He added. The three Death Eaters walked around the backyard, readying items and spaces. They moved stoned here, gathered wood there, and worked in silence quite diligently. Harry was truly afraid to make any sound, almost relieved their attention was elsewhere. He looked all around for some sign of his help, but there was none to be found. After a short while, Lucius stopped, looking quite pleased with himself. He turned towards Harry, smiling. Behind him lay what looked like the preparations for a bonfire. Many logs and branches were stacked neatly and in good preparations for burning with a ring of stones encasing it in order to keep the fire from spreading.

"Have you guessed yet, Harry? Our game is going to be a bit of a history lesson for you. We're going to have a good, old-fashioned witch burning." With that, Lucius projected the Dark Mark high into the sky.

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"It's ready." announced Molly Weasley. She had taken the job of finishing the Locator potion so she could feel productive and useful. Just waiting was driving her mad. Immediately, the remaining Order members rushed into the kitchen. The group consisted of Hagrid, Tonks, Kingsley, the entire Weasley clan, Hermoine, Remus, Minerva, and of course, Albus Dumbledore. The other members had left to either assume posts assigned to them by Dumbledore, or wait for an update from the Order in less crowded quarters. While the entire room held its breath, Albus placed Harry's wand in the bubbling cauldron and recited the Locator Spell. Immediately, the potion began churning. After a few minutes, a swirling, orange mist rose above the cauldron. The swirls grew larger and more exaggerated until the middle cleared into a picture. Gasps were heard around the room as a house with a large Dark Mark hovering in the sky above it became clear amidst the mist.

"Where is that?" Hermoine asked as she saw recognition register on many of the Order member's faces.

"It's Lily and James' house." Replied Remus. "That's where Voldemort killed them."

At that, Dumbledore swished the potion and the room cleared.

"We must act quickly. It appears as though Lucius has already called Voldemort to the house. That means time is running out for Harry."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Okay, I'm sorry it took me soooooooooo long to redo this chapter, or update at all. I've just started a new job (money very good :-) !! ) And then when I went back and reread my story, I realized that this chapter was originally nothing like what I wanted it to be. So I've made some MAJOR changes, and may even make some more once I have a day off work. Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooo much for being patient with me and I'm so sorry if I lost some of your reviews when I switched the chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. They mean so much to me!! Have a FANTABULOUS day!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
PS: Anne Phoenix, thanks for the tip. I'm trying this in a new format to see if it's easier to read. Let me know if it helps.   
  
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What I wouldn't give for my wand right now, was the only thought going through Harry's head. Lucius had seemed disappointed by Harry's emotionless face when presented with the news that he was going to be burned at the stake. Harry certainly wasn't keen on the idea of being devoured by flames, but he was so tired now. He was tired of worrying about Voldemort constantly; he was tired of the nightmares and headaches that plagued him chronically; he was even tired of being referred to as the "Boy-Who-Lived." At this point, he wanted nothing more than to be anybody else. But seeing how that was impossible, he would just have to settle for death.  
  
Screw everyone else. I'm fed up with going through hell for them time and time again. But as soon as he thought that, the faces of all the people he cared about began passing through his mind. Hermoine, Ron (the entire Weasley clan, in fact), Dumbledore (though he was still a little pissed at him), Professor McGonagall, Hagrid (especially that lovable oaf that had rescued him from the Dursley's on his eleventh birthday, which now felt like a million years ago), Remus...... The longer he thought, the more guilty he felt for even thinking such a thing. All these people have been doing their best to help and support Harry. True, they couldn't fully understand he burden, but they did everything in their power to lighten it. Besides, enough people had died for his sake. He couldn't let another person be harmed because of himself. If his dream of Sirius was real, and help really was on the way, he was going to have to either escape and keep them from walking into a Death Eater's meeting, or find a way to kill Voldemort and end this now, before anyone else got hurt. So now I'm back to square one. I REALLY wish I had a wand.   
  
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Severus arrived in Voldemort's main chambers. The light outside was low enough that the fireplace and candles cast shadows that crept around the room. This room never changed. It always impressed upon its visitors a blanket of dread and fear. Even the most seasoned Death Eaters were not immune to its effects. Severus always wondered if it was caused by a spell or the blackness of Voldemort's soul.  
  
In the chair nearest the fireplace, Voldemort was resting in his "throne." Of course, this was only a makeshift throne because Voldemort always said his true throne is Dumbledore's chair in the Great Hall, which he will take once he kills the old bugger. A rather childish way of adding insult to injury, but Voldemort had clung to this dream since he was a child. Originally, before he desired world domination, he just wanted to replace Dumbledore as headmaster if he ever retired. But he had since altered his dream to stay in stride with his psychosis.  
  
Curled lazily around the "throne" was his pet snake. As always, it regarded Severus with nothing more than a brief raising of its head and then returned to its nap. The large lump in its abdomen was the telltale sign that Voldemort had allowed it to recently. Severus had only witnessed one feeding, and that was too many. That time it had been a small pig, but Severus had heard rumors that Voldemort sometimes allowed that giant monster to eat small children.  
  
Gruesome as the snake was, it was nothing compared to Voldemort. The blackness of his soul has twisted the once attractive Riddle into a monster of no comparison. The faint of heart required but one look upon his being to be forced into a groveling mass. The strong of heart needed only to gaze into those red eyes to forced into the same.   
  
Severus approached the chair and kissed Voldemort's hand before standing and awaiting to be addressed first. One never spoke before Voldemort. It was a very fast way to get killed.  
  
"My servant, have you any news of that bumbling old fool?" Voldemort inquired in a low hiss.  
  
"He is searching for the Potter boy, my Lord, but has no ideas where he is or what has happened to him."  
  
"Why are you cut?" Voldemort asked, seeing the multiple cuts and scrapes that resulted from Severus' earlier encounter with Peter Pettigrew.  
  
At that moment, a knock sounded on the door. "Enter!" permitted Voldemort. Bellatrix Lestrange and Peter Pettigrew emerged through the doorway, and immediately Peter ran to the throne and began groveling at Voldemort's feet.  
  
"Do you see what this sniveling rat did to Severus?!" half-shrieked Bellatrix. "This is why he didn't come."  
  
"I'm sorry, Master! I thought he was a spy. I was doing it for you, Master. Please forgive me!" pleaded Pettigrew, still kissing the floor.  
  
"Enlighten me as to why you believed one of my best and most loyal Death Eaters to be a traitor."  
  
"Master...... I just .......... He was ............" Pettigrew was so scared now that he could do nothing more than sputter a few words at a time. "Please....."  
  
"Enough! Severus, do you know why he believed you a spy?"  
  
"No, my Lord." Severus spoke as little as possible, knowing that Voldemort would think over-explaining to be a sign of guilt. With that, there was only silence from the Dark Lord. The two standing Death Eaters were waiting with bated breath, while Pettigrew lay on the floor sobbing softly. The silence became suffocating; waiting for Voldemort to make his move.  
  
"Master, PLEASE!!! I'm so sorry!"  
  
And that was it. Pettigrew's fate was sealed. He had fallen for Voldemort's trap. The first one to break the silence was the one with a guilty conscience, or so Voldemort believed.  
  
"If you had any real reason to believe Severus a spy, you would've come to me directly. No, you were just trying to rid yourself of a man you knew to be your better in every way. And seeing how he is worth far more to me than you, you shall pay the ultimate price for your insolence. I fed my pet only half his usual meal size. Tonight, he will finish dining."  
  
"NOOOOO!!!!" screamed Pettigrew, every ounce of blood draining from his face and being replaced with a horrible shade of green. With his sentencing complete, Voldemort stood and transformed Pettigrew into his rat form. The scent of a familiar meal stirred the serpent from his slumber. Pettigrew the Rat squeaked and scrambled for somewhere to hide, but Voldemort placed a trapping spell around him, giving the rat nothing to do but run in a circle of death. Severus and Bellatrix stepped back, not really desiring to see this morbid sight, but knowing they had no choice. It was Voldemort's gift to Severus and reward to Bellatrix. True, Severus wanted Pettigrew dead, but he never wished such horrors upon anyone. And Bellatrix was famous for her ruthlessness, but there was such a thing as too much. This went beyond that.  
  
Now Peter was ramming into the spell's shield head first as hard as he possibly could. Severus wasn't sure if he was trying to break through the shield or break his neck before being eaten alive. The clicking on the floor caused by his tiny silver paw was becoming irritating to Snape. The anticipation was too much as the snake slowly sauntered over. At long last, the snake came to the shield. He raised up and slithered through the shield, carefully eyeing the panicked rat. Then, fast as lightening, he struck, mouth wide open. Pettigrew actually managed to jump aside, just far enough to avoid the large fangs protruding from the serpent's upper jaw. This angered the snake. He became more alert, his skills sharpened. The second strike was dead on, his fangs penetrated the rats back with a sickening crack as they tore through flesh and bone. Blood splattered the floor as Peter Pettigrew let out one last shriek, and then he was truly dead, as he had been believed to be for many years. The snake quickly swallowed him whole and returned to his slumbering and digesting. Bellatrix looked slightly green and Snape was praying that he wouldn't throw up until after he had left Voldemort's presence. The Dark Lord himself, had returned to his "throne" and was looking quite amused.  
  
"Now my faithful servants, it is time to witness this evening's final entertainment. Tonight, Harry Potter WILL die!"  
  
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Harry was forced out of his thoughts by a large boot kicking him square in the back. He landed face down, since his hands were still uselessly bound behind his back.  
  
"Come on. Time to play." Came the gruff voice of Goyle Sr. as he grabbed Harry by the throat and yanked the boy to his feet. Just as Harry gained his balance, a Crucio curse crashed into him, slamming him back onto the ground in a fit of seizures. Every inch of Harry's body screamed, threatening to pull apart completely. His arms and shoulders pulled against their restraints until, through the pain, Harry felt the rope on his wrist loosen. Just as the curse was finally lifted, the bonds snapped, freeing his arms at last. However, his shoulders had been bound behind him so long that they felt frozen in place. Harry didn't have time to work through the pain as another swift, but forceful kick sent him sprawling from his side onto his back. He vaguely realized, through the throbbing of his body, that his arms were now at his sides, his joints slowly releasing like someone was oiling the rust.. He looked up at Goyle to see if he had noticed, but the giant buffoon was too busy gloating about how he could beat up a kid to even begin to pay attention to Harry. It's now or never, thought Harry.  
  
"I could squash you like a bug, right now." Said Goyle, approaching Harry with a maniacal look in his eyes.  
  
"That will come later." Came Lucius Malfoy's voice from across the yard where he and Crabbe Sr. were finishing the circle where the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord would be apparating to any minute. Harry jumped at his opportunity as Goyle turned his head to look at Malfoy. With his good leg, he kicked Goyle as hard as possible in the crotch and, almost simultaneously, reached up and grabbed the oaf's wand before Goyle could retaliate. The wand pulled his hand down like a lead weight, fighting against its captor. But Harry fought harder, and forced the wand up and shouted "Petrificus Totalus," willing the foreign wand to obey him. There was a slight hesitation, but finally the wand reacted, freezing Goyle in his spot, then crashing him down with a satisfying thud. Lucius yelled at Crabbe to deal with Harry while he kept the Dark Mark and circle open so the Death Eaters would know where to apparate to. Harry pushed back with is good leg, ignoring the resistance of his body, and waited for the perfect moment to take out Crabbe. Harry barely managed to duck a bright yellow light that Crabbe sent at his head, and then quickly sat back up and yelled "Expelliarmus!" forcing the wand to disarm his opponent. He tried to follow it up with another petrifaction spell, but he was losing energy fast. His adrenaline was running out, and he hadn't eaten in an unknown amount of days. His body was broken and tired. It begged him to lay down and stop, but there was a tiny voice at the back of his head that told him to keep going. He raised the wand again, aiming the curse at Crabbe, but it only hit his arm and was too weak to affect his whole body. Crabbe just kept walking towards him with an evil grin and one frozen arm. Harry scooted backwards as fast as his gimp body would allow, but Crabbe quickly caught up to him and sent a fist careening into the side of his face, making him see stars. Harry felt the wand being yanked out of his hand, and with it, his last ounce of hope.   
  
With his own wand, Crabbed levitated Harry and flipped him upside-down in mid air. All Harry could hear was the blood rushing to his head, which felt like it would explode from the pressure. His shirt fell over his eyes, preventing him from seeing the next curse Crabbe shot at him, which sent him flying through the air. His newfound ability to fly was abruptly halted by the back of the dilapidated house his parents once inhabited. Harry landed in a heap on the ground, barely breathing through the pain. He heard heavy footsteps approaching him, but could not even summon the strength to open his eyes. As he braced himself for another round of attacks, a voice slithered over the grass and encompassed the entire area.  
  
"It is time."   
  
The footsteps stopped, and Harry knew immediately......... Voldemort had arrived. 


	10. Chapter 10

Minerva McGonagall's heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw James' and Lily's house. She had never been to that house while they were alive. In fact, she hadn't even seen it until after they had died. She wished she had visited earlier, then she would have found out that Pettigrew was their Secret Keeper. But there was no sense in worrying over the past. Nothing could be done about it now. Not even Dumbledore had been able to prevent that.  
  
Now they had the chance to save Harry.....again. Trouble clings to that boy like wet fur. she thought, almost evoking a slight grin. Then she cast a glance at Remus and just about started laughing, remembering that it had poured all night during the last full moon. But now was neither the time nor place to go into hysterical fits of laughter, no matter how nice of a release it would be.  
  
Minerva had been unable to aid in the last battle with Voldemort due to her injuries obtained from that horrible Umbridge's goons. She hoped that woman rotted away as a vegetable for the rest of her life! Okay, that was harsh. she reprimanded herself. Nonetheless, she would hex that woman into next year (if not oblivion) if she ever saw her again. What a glorious day that would be! Until then, she would have to settle for maiming some of Voldemort's flunkies. Not a bad alternative. And with the build up of stress over the past few day, she was not going to go easy on anyone. Dumbledore always said to take them alive whenever possible, but Minerva was tiring of this. Especially with the seasoned Death Eaters like Malfoy. He continued to prove that he was evil and manipulative. And to make matters worse, he was molding Draco in his image. That boy held so much potential, Minerva couldn't stand to see it squashed by Lucius. She had already witnessed Lucius transform Narcissa from a "generally" sweet girl into a hateful, snobbish woman. Though not all the blame laid with Malfoy, Sr. Narcissa's parents had done their best to instill pure-blood prejudices into her at an early age. But behind their backs, she had befriended a muggle-born witch while at Hogwarts. Upon graduation, however, Narcissa was betrothed to Lucius and married soon after. Even then she maintained the friendship, unbeknownst to Lucius, until her friend accused Lucius of joining the Death Eaters. Narcissa defended her newly wed husband, and eliminated all contact with her friend. She didn't even attend her funeral when she was murdered by Death Eaters a month later. Even when she found out Lucius was indeed a Death Eater shortly after that, she refused to admit her mistake, and forever became the snobby aristocrat who adopted her family's views of muggle-born wizards.  
  
Minerva sighed inwardly at the thought of this. Partly in mourning at the loss of innocence for Narcissa and partly because she knew that even if Voldemort was defeated, another like him would take his place as long as the hatred and prejudice was still taught at home. It might not be centuries, but there would be another Voldemort as long as there was pure-blood/ muggle-born nonsense.  
  
This realization brought Minerva back to the present. It was time. She never knew whether or not it would be the final battle, but she, like most, hoped it was. She was eager to return to the days when you didn't have to glance over your shoulder constantly, out of fear of a sneak attack from a Death Eater. Of course, they say you can never go back, which is true, but the worst would be over if Voldemort was gone forever. And who knows, maybe Harry could lead an almost normal life. Almost. Minerva suspected that there would always be some fanatic out there hoping to avenge Voldemort. But Minerva knew Harry would be able to handle himself. It was his acquaintances she worried about. That boy had a knack for endangering the lives of others. It was a gift that he had so many loyal friends, but a curse to them for it was practically a death wish. Speaking of death wishes, she thought as she realized that the Weasley children were begging Dumbledore and their parents to let them help.  
  
"Absolutely not!" Shrieked Molly Weasley, who had turned white at the mere thought of it. "It's bad enough that Bill and Charlie are coming. The rest of you (being Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and Hermoine) are forbidden to leave this house until we return with Harry. And no 'buts'." She was beginning to turn red now that the shock had worn off.  
  
"Hagrid is staying here to protect you. I expect he will have no problems or any trouble with mischief." Dumbledore added quite matter-of-factly. Hagrid looked disheartened at the idea of not going to rescue Harry, but he knew that stealth was imperative and his towering figure was difficult to overlook. He was happy to watch the children (or perhaps more appropriately, the teenagers), though. He cared greatly for them all, and knew that it would be a tremendous help to Dumbledore and the Weasleys if he was watching over them.  
  
"Mum, do you have to go?" Ginny pleaded with tears in her eyes. She was terrified at the thought of losing any family member, especially her mother. Being the only daughter, they had developed a special bond with each other, one that could never be replaced.  
  
"Luv," Molly replied, embracing the girl. "It will be all right. We're just going to rescue Harry. We'll do it as quickly as possible. Professor Dumbledore had already alerted the Aurors about the situation, and they will handle the Death Eaters. I just need to be there to attend to Harry's immediate health. As soon as I've got him, we will apparate to wherever is necessary." She released Ginny from the embrace and stepped back to pick up her outer robes. Molly took extra care in placing them over her shoulders as they now contained various potions and salves in anticipation of many different scenarios. With that, final good byes were said, and the Order members diapparated, determined to rescue Harry. 


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: This is really unusual for me to update this often, so no one die of shock please:-) I was on a role. I hope this is long enough for you. (It had better be shaking fist ) J/K. Anywho, I really love this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it. It was 21 pages handwritten. My hand hasn't hurt this much in a long, long time. Also, I typed this at 3 in the morning, so please let me know if you find any editing errors. It gets hard to keep track when your eyes won't stop crossing. Please REVIEW!!!!!!!!!! Let me know what you think. Also, I need to know how you feel about the Sirius situation: alive or dead? Happy reading!!!  
  
Paranoidin2005: Thanks for the review. It really encouraged to me to push myself on this chapter, hence the tremendous length.  
  
Questie: Always much love to my biggest fan. You always help me work through my writer's block. Thanks for everything.  
  
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It had been true. Severus hadn't believed the location when he read it on the map at Pettigrew's shack. But as soon as he apparated into the edge of the yard, he knew it had been correct. The sight that laid before him was going to plague him with nightmares for years. He arrived in time to see Crabbe send the infamous Harry Potter flying halfway across the yard, slamming into the side of the house with a sickening thud. Despite any animosity towards James Potter or Harry, Severus could not stand to see the boy in this condition. He was covered in bruises and blood, both fresh and old, his left eye was swollen completely shut, and it was quite obvious that his right leg was broken below the knee. Even though many regarded Severus Snape as a fearful monster, which suited him fine, deep down he was really quite humane. He wished this kind of treatment upon no one, save perhaps Voldemort himself, the true definition of "monster." He was as cold-blooded as the snakes he so frequently kept in his company.  
  
Many years ago, Dumbledore had told Severus the story behind Tom Marvolo Riddle's rise to evil. Severus suspected he was one of a meager few that Dumbledore ever discussed this with.  
---------------------  
"Did Voldemort ever discuss his childhood with any of the Death Eaters?" Dumbledore inquired, initiating the conversation.  
  
"Not really. He reveals very little of his own life. He prefers to use Occlumency to pry into everyone else's life so he can find some way to torture or blackmail them." Severus replied only halfway interested since this was after Voldemort's downfall. This information seemed almost useless at this point in time.  
  
"His life was a relatively uneventful one. It held no major childhood traumas like yours and, now, Harry Potter's. His grandparents, both muggle and magical, died before he was born. He had no extended family nor siblings. The Riddle's mansion was located in a small village named Little Hangleton. Tom's parents were rich, snobbish, and rude. They kept to themselves, their money as their main source of company. I was quite surprised when he began attending Hogwarts. It had been expected that they would hire a tutor to teach him magic."   
  
Severus could already tell that this was going to take awhile, so he settled further into his armchair and thanked Merlin that the house elves knew to put a little fire whiskey in his already very strong coffee. He knew Dumbledore had a reason for telling him this. He just hoped it wasn't for the sheer sake of reminiscing and that the point could be made quickly. The realization that Albus was continuing the tale snapped Severus back into paying attention.   
  
"Of course, the only reason I can figure as to why the old couple sent Tom to Hogwarts is because they had no use for a teenage boy running about the house disturbing the silence. But at that time, Tom told everyone that his parents were dead and he had been living in an orphanage. It wasn't until after he graduated and his parents were found dead that anyone learned the truth. The then headmaster, Dippet, never was sure how he got that lie past him. I still don't know.  
  
"Anyways, Tom Riddle began studying at Hogwarts. He was a brilliant wizard with very obvious potential, and yet, he seemed to prefer to stay out of the lime light. Perhaps because his parents were such hermits. No one really knew why. During his first year, he kept to himself and never really made friends, just a few necessary, no... forced, acquaintances." Dumbledore paused to sip his lemon tea and think, as if organizing the memories in his head.  
  
"The second year he attended Hogwarts, Tom seemed much more chipper. He was still snobbish and quiet, but he didn't look so melancholy all the time. Same thing for his third and fourth years. He received top marks in all of his classes, made no real friends, and really wasn't noticed much. But halfway through his fourth year, he did something remarkable. He developed a sort of crush on a girl in his Arithmancy class that I was teaching at the time. She was a good student, but often got made fun of for the ridicules things teenager pick out to torment one another about. Ridiculed as she was, she was still relatively popular, if for no other reason than to provide comic relief and esteem boosting for the "pure-blood" witches. Yes, Myrtle was a muggle-born witch.   
  
"Tom, being half-muggle as well, thought that this made two things they shared in common. Yet, every time he approached her to strike up conversation, she snubbed him, using the excuse that she only associated with pure-blood wizards. And then, one day near the end of term, her so called "friends" pulled a horrible trick on him. They cast a spell on him during Defense Against the Dark Arts class that covered him in a nasty skin rash and made all of his hair fall out. And Myrtle just laughed. There was pity in her eyes, but her friends were laughing, so she did too. Not her finest hour, I must say. Anyways, one student was expelled and the others were severely disciplined. Argus about burst with glee at the thought of reprimanding all of those students. Poor Tom, he was never the same. We healed the rash and regrew his hair, but it didn't matter. The damage had been done. He was worse than melancholy. You could practically see the chip on his shoulder. He left fourth year miserable, and returned the fifth year even worse. Of course, that was the year the Chamber of Secrets was opened and poor Myrtle was killed. Tom graduated after seventh year with top marks, and then five years later, his parents were found dead, making us realize that had lied about the orphanage. By that time, it didn't really matter. Tom Marvolo Riddle was dead. The only person left was Lord Voldemort."  
  
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And now Severus was looking at the creature before him known as Lord Voldemort.  
  
"It is time." Voldemort hissed, prohibiting Crabbe, Sr. from killing Harry before Voldemort got to have any fun. The yard was a large clearing surrounded by trees on three sides and the house on the fourth. Near the middle of the back of the clearing was where Lucius Malfoy projected the Dark Mark. But now that Voldemort and a couple dozen Death Eaters had arrived, he released the projection and barked at a lower ranking Death Eater to unstupefy Goyle, who was still lying near the stump in the middle of the yard. A few yards from Malfoy was a large wood teepee with one large wooden pole sticking out of the apex. He can't be serious. thought Severus. He really is going to burn the boy alive. His stomach dropped, his heart pounded against his ribcage, and his mind raced, trying to figure out how to save the boy and escape when they were completely surrounded by Death Eaters. Even with the ability to apparate, it would be next to impossible to get that close to the boy. Voldemort was going to make sure of that. He wanted Potter all to himself now. Severus doubted he'd even let Lucius near Harry at this point. Especially since it was apparent from Harry's conditions that Malfoy had already had his fair share of fun.  
  
"Bring him to me." Voldemort commanded. Crabbe got a maniacal look in his eyes and then sent Harry flying towards Voldemort in the same fashion he'd given him a taste of the house's siding.  
  
"Fool!!!" Voldemort yelled, enraged at Crabbe's immaturity. He stopped Harry before he landed on the ground, then hit Crabbe with the Cruciatus Curse for his insolence. While Crabbe, Sr. was writhing and screaming, Voldemort hovered Harry upright, just above the ground. Annoyed by Crabbe's screams, he ordered a Death Eater near him to shut him up, then turned back to Harry as a Silencing Charm was being cast just behind him. Now the yard was quiet as a graveyard as everyone waited for the Dark Lord to proceed.  
  
"You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, Mr. Potter. It is amazing how such a miniscule, pathetic wizard could cause me so much trouble. Of course, you would have been dead long ago had you not been hiding behind that old fool, Dumbledore. But as is quite obvious, he's not here to save you now." That extracted a few evil chuckles from the crowd of Death Eaters.  
  
Harry was terrified. This was much worse than when he'd been abducted with Cedric Diggory during his fourth year. As horrendous as that had been, there had been fewer Death Eaters and a portkey he had been able to use to escape. Even though he knew they had used a portkey to get here, he had no idea of what it looked like or where it possibly was. Not to mention the facts that he was much more severely maimed this go around and the portkey would only take him back to the dungeons Lucius had held him in, not Hogwarts. He was in deep, deep shit and he knew it. Every inch of his body was screaming from his earlier thrashings, but he knew the worst was yet to come. He had a faint hint that if he miraculously managed to survive the night, he was going to be pyrophobic for a long time to come, if not for the rest of his life.  
  
Where was that help Sirius had promised? Had he been real at all? It seemed like an eternity had passes since his silvery dream. Maybe it had been just that, a dream. A coping mechanism for a delirious subconscious, desperately trying to escape its hellish reality. Harry now faced that hell of a reality, determined to not let his emotions show. He refused to let Voldemort have that satisfaction.  
  
"You're scared, boy. Granted, most are in the face of death. The funny thing is, no one can escape it, save perhaps me. I have already proven that." Voldemort gloated. He was beginning to become quite pleased with himself and the whole situation. Soon the prophecy would be fulfilled. One would die and the other would survive. The he would kill Dumbledore and take over the wizarding world and, soon after, the rest of it. He had already decided that he would kill most of the Muggles, enslaving the ones he spared, making wizards the majority. But he would be careful to weed out ant wizards that might pose a threat to him, few as they would be. He would be a GOD!!  
  
Severus saw that maniacal glint in Voldemort's eyes and knew he was formulating plans in his twisted head. Snape's tall stature allowed him to see what was going on even though he was behind three or four other Death Eaters. He must have slipped out of the loop because he had no idea there were this many active followers. He wasn't even sure of who most of them could possibly be, and the masks didn't help. He had been carrying his mask in his robes when he left Dumbledore and the Order, so he had managed to slip it on before he apparated to the Potter's house. He wondered how much longer Voldemort was going to taunt the boy and if Voldemort was ever going to release Crabbe, whose nose and ears were now bleeding, from his curse. That made Severus wonder if the body continued twitching even after the person had died.  
  
"It's such a waste that your parents died trying so desperately to save you when it is inevitable that I WILL kill you. Of course, I would have killed them regardless. Or at least your father. Maybe I would have given your mother to some of my Death Eaters so they could have some fun. Yes, she would have been a very nice toy."   
  
Harry's blood boiled, but he knew that Voldemort was just trying to get him to react, so he did nothing. He could barely see Voldemort for the fury burning throughout him. Even though he was getting no response, Voldemort could feel the boy's anger radiating from within him, so the Dark Lord decided to continue.  
  
"Obviously, after I've killed you and Dumbledore, I'll kill all of you friends, especially that pathetic red headed family that call themselves wizards. Except, perhaps the girl and that mud-blood you associate with. I'm sure I can find someone who would be willing to let them live as slaves. I bet they would make very obedient slaves once they were properly broken." Harry tried so hard to control his anger, but this was too much. Without even knowing how it happened, a large log from the bonfire stack launched itself directly at Voldemort's head. Quick as lightening, he flicked his wand and shattered it into millions of splinters that fell lightly to the ground. A roar of laughter erupted from the crowd of Death Eaters. After a minute, it died down so Voldemort continued.  
  
"Please don't tell me that's the best you can do, Mr. Potter. You can blow up Muggles, but merely launch lumber at fellow wizards? Though, you're not strong enough to blow me up, are you? Pity. I was hoping for more of a challenge."  
  
"You coward! If you wanted a real challenge, then you would have given me my wand and we could've had a real showdown. This is quite low, even for you Voldemort, attacking me with all of your goons while I'm unarmed." Severus was shocked at how strong and steady Harry's voice was, even if it was raspy. Well, so much for saving the bloody boy, he thought. Voldemort never tolerated insolence of any kind. Had it been anyone else, Voldemort would have killed them immediately. He had certainly done it for less. Of course, Severus was surprised it had taken Harry this long to stand up to Voldemort. He certainly had no trouble with retorts in Potions class.  
  
"Why Harry, you're quite right. Who would I be to deny Dumbledore's great champion a fighting chance? Which one of you would like to lend Harry a wand so he can kill me?" There were numerous volunteers amongst the laughing.   
  
"You!" Voldemort pointed to one of the smaller Death Eaters. Severus wondered if it was a woman until he was the man's rough, hairy hands when he handed Voldemort the wand. Not even the ugliest female circus freak Severus had seen had hands this gnarled and calloused. Not to mention, they were just too large to be a woman's hands. Hell, they were too large even for this man. They seemed obscene compared to his small stature. At least what was apparent through his robes.  
  
"Here you are, Harry." said Voldemort as he handed the still hovering wizard this foreign wand. "And seeing as how it's not the wand you're used to wielding, I'll let you practice with it. How about on......... it's owner. Any spell you'd like. Give it a whirl." With that, he lowered Harry to the ground, then remembered that one of Harry's legs was broken.   
  
"Oh that's hardly fair. What can we do about that leg, dear boy?" Immediately, a blue light engulfed Harry's right leg and a thick splint materialized around it. It wasn't healed, but he could at least stand on it.  
  
"Now, have a go." Severus was very surprised by the cat and mouse game Voldemort was amusing himself with. He rarely had the patience to toy with people for so long. Normally, Voldemort left the toying to Lucius Malfoy and some of the other high ranking Death Eaters. Severus wished he knew why Voldemort was acting so oddly. Perhaps he had finally and completely cracked. He had never been too far from it. Severus turned his attention back to Harry and waited with bated breath to see which spell he would use on the now horrorstricken Death Eater. This would determine how far gone Harry was. If he killed the man, Voldemort would have already won. Maybe this is why Voldemort's been holding out. If Harry can kill an unarmed man, then Voldemort will have an easy time manipulating him and turning him into a weapon. This thought sent chills up and down Severus' spine. That pair would be unstoppable.  
  
Harry just stood there, not even looking at his target. Then, faster than most could see, he raised the heavy wand and, with a look of sheer determination, uttered not a sound, but a bright orange blast slammed into the man's chest and sent him crashing into several Death Eaters. Harry immediately acted again, sending Crabbe's now still and most definitely dead body flying at Voldemort.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!!" Harry yelled with all his might, determined to end this now. The green energy followed just behind and below the body. Voldemort flung Crabbe, Sr.'s body aside and went wide-eyed at the death curse that was streaming towards him. Had he hesitated even a second, the curse would have hit its mark. But he did not. He sent another of his Death Eaters sailing through the air and right in front of the curse. The majority of the followers that hadn't been bowled over by the now unconscious, large-handed man were unsure of what to do. They knew Voldemort would be furious if they interferred, but Harry was doing better than expected. Despite looking exhausted and sallow, he was holding his own. But how much longer could he last? Severus knew the boy was running out of energy fast, but it was still too early to make his move. If he did something now, he would only get them both killed.  
  
"Bravo, bravo." Voldemort was obviously very amused as he moved closer to Harry, clapping slowly and purposefully. "You have managed to rid me of two Death Eaters and send a dozen of them into disarray. I'm impressed."  
  
"You're wrong. You killed both of those men (being Crabbe and the one that was forced to sacrifice himself for the greater evil)." Harry argued.  
  
"But it was your curse that hit him."  
  
"It would have hit you if you weren't too cowardly to face it yourself, Voldemort. Besides, why would you be scared of it? You've survived it before."  
  
"I am no fool, boy! Even if I hadn't been killed, I would be in no fit state to finish you off. Expelliarmus!"  
  
Harry tried to duck the spell, but with his lame leg and other injuries, he just wasn't fast enough. The wand shot out of his hand and he fell backwards onto the hard, unforgiving ground.   
  
"Now let's see what's going on inside that head of yours that is making you so assertive. Legilmens!"  
  
Harry felt like he was floating outside of his own body. He saw many different images in his head, but could do nothing to stop them.  
  
"Where to begin? How about at our most recent encounter?" Voldemort's cold voice slid over every inch of Harry's mind, making him feel sick and violated. Suddenly he was back in the Ministry of Magic watching Sirius die, again. Voldemort watched that it replay in Harry's head a few more times, then decided move on.   
  
"That was delightful. Let me see another. Why don't we go back to the very beginning?" Abruptly, his mind filled with the echoes of a woman's screams. "Ahh, yes. I remember that night well." Harry tried to prevent Voldemort from resurrecting the memory of his mother's death, but he didn't have the strength. Too long had he gone without sustenance and rest. He was fading fast. Some part of his mind registered that he was writhing on the ground, screaming, but there was nothing he could do.  
  
Severus could stand it no longer. As Harry's screams reverberated against the trees and into the night sky, he knew he was going to die for what he was about to do, but he had no choice. He had to help the boy. He hoped that cat who looked like Minerva's transfigured form was not an illusion.  
  
"Legilmens." Severus attacked Voldemort's mind just long enough to force him away from Harry. He was standing behind the captivated Death Eaters and barely whispered the word. Maybe no one heard him.  
  
"WHO WAS THAT!?!?!" Voldemort looked around seething, while Harry lay panting on the ground with his eyes clamped shut, but still unable to stop the flood of tears that had broken through. Dead silence filled the air. It was so thick and heavy you could choke on it.  
  
"Answer me NOW!!!!!" A small squeak escaped from a trembling Death Eater and in the blink of an eye he was dead. "I will kill you all if I have to."  
  
"It was Severus." accused two voices in unison.  
  
"Explain immediately!" Voldemort demanded, his patience wearing very thin. Cautiously, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange stepped forward.  
  
"Master, he is the only follower known to possess such Occlumency skills." Lucius explained.  
  
"And, my Lord, Pettigrew was convinced Severus was a spy. Maybe he was right after all." Bellatrix quickly bowed her head and prayed Voldemort would not kill her just for the sake of it.  
  
"Severus, come forward and tell me why I shouldn't kill you immediately." Voldemort was being extremely patient with him.  
  
"My Lord, you were killing the little bastard. You would not be able to enjoy watching him burn to death if he was already dead." Severus tried, but he knew Voldemort would see right through him.  
  
"I have spared your life so many times before and you repay me by spying against me and then making up pathetic lies that insult my intelligence?! I would have expected better from you, Severus. You really were one of my favorites."   
  
Before he could even blink, an orange light hit him square in the chest, Voldemort's personal concoction of spells possessing his being. Every inch of his body was trying to seizure with a Crucio, but was being held perfectly still by a Petrificus Totalus. His muscles were literally being torn between the stress of the contradictions. He wanted to scream until his lungs burst, but he couldn't move his vocal chords or jaw. Just as some of his bones were beginning to snap under the strain, Voldemort removed the curse, leaving Severus panting on the ground, unable to move. The pain was still too near. With every breath, his muscles would spasm, sending a new wave of agony screaming throughout his body as some of the muscle would tear completely in half, the exertion being more than they could handle.  
  
His agony-clouded mind didn't even register that Voldemort was standing practically on top of him until a heavy boot connected with his ribs with a sickening crack. Turning to the motionless group, he proclaimed,  
  
"Tonight, my loyal followers, you are getting a real treat. We will burn them both. And anyone else who dares to defy me will join them." With that, he signaled for Malfoy, who had been guarding Potter, to prepare the fire.  
  
"I'm tired of playing game. Tonight will mark the beginning of a new era. My era!" Voldemort watched as Lucius and another Death Eater dragged Harry to the wood pile, then levitated him to the large stake in the middle and bound him with thick rope.  
  
Harry was still numb all over. His mind was still clouded from Voldemort's intrusion. Even though he knew he was being moved, he couldn't quite figure out what was going on. It wasn't until he heard Voldemort say "Inflamaria." that he remembered what was going on. He looked down and saw flames growing at the base of the wood teepee. His entire body shook with terror. He silently prayed and begged for someone to save him, but no one that would help was in sight. As he desperately looked around, he finally saw a battered Severus Snape laying in a heap near the fire where he'd been dragged as well. Wondering why he hadn't seen him earlier, he saw a Death Eater mask laying on the ground several yards from them. Realization that Snape had been the one who stopped Voldemort from completely destroying his mind and then paid severely for it struck Harry hard. The man who had tormented Harry for so many years had still done everything in his power to help him.   
  
As his eyes began to sting, Harry realized the flames were growing quickly and smoke was billowing around him. He tried to yell, but choked on the dense fumes that burnt his lungs and eyes. His breathing became labored and soon he was barely able to wheeze through the smoke. He could see only darkness as his eyes could no longer stand the smoke. Through the black pillar and roaring of the climbing flames, all Harry could hear was the cold laugh of Voldemort as he slipped into a hot darkness, having been robbed of all his oxygen.  
  
Severus felt the rough hands drag him across the yard after Voldemort's little speech. He opened his eyes and saw his wand on the ground several feet away, broken into multiple pieces. As painlessly as possible, he turned his head in time to see the smoke rise up around Harry and hear the boy start coughing and choking on it. Where the hell are you, Dumbledore? he half-begged, becoming frantic. He couldn't lie there and do nothing. Crestfallen at the realization that he must have been mistaken about the cat, he summoned every ounce of strength that remained in his body. This was going to be slightly easier since Voldemort and the Death Eaters were all transfixed on Harry He glanced up again when Voldemort started laughing and he saw Harry's head fall, his toes being liked by the climbing fire. With a last burst of strength, Severus willed his broken body into action. He sprang up, ran and leapt into the fire. He threw his body onto the stake holding Harry, then heard it crack. As it broke under his weight, he pushed with all his might and sent it, with Harry still attached, tumbling off of the wood pile, on the opposite side from the Death Eaters. Unable to breath through the smoke, Severus collapsed on the burning pile, and knew nothing more. 


	12. Chapter 12

To all my dear and beloved readers:

I am sooooooooooooooooooooo sorry it has taken this long for me to update!!! And I am also profusely sorry that this chapter is UBER short! In my defense, since my last chapter, I have moved to Alaska (no small feat) and begun school....again. And yes, I know that's not a very good excuse for going about 5 months without updating, but it's all I have. Well, that and writer's block. That's part of why this chapter is sooo short. I want to do the next scene justice, and I'm finding that to be a difficult thing. So please, please, please forgive me. And I swear that I will update again around Thanksgiving. Since I'm not going home, I'll have a lot of time to think and write. Enjoy this little snippet and please R/R. But please don't tell me how short it is. I am painfully aware that it is beyond short. But the next will be nice and long.

Happy Reading!!!!!!!!

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Voldemort barely had the time to register what he had seen before a flash of blinding lightening opened the flood gates of the heavens, allowing the downpour of rain to instantly soak everything. Again, the lightening crashed, and the Death Eaters barely glimpsed the toppling tree through the sheet of rain. Most of them were fast enough to move, but a few of them were lost under its large branches. Shouts of "Lumos" echoed throughout the yard as the startled Death Eaters struggled to see what was happening. But as soon as the light peeked out of their wands, the rain swallowed it like a black hole, pure oblivion.

"I know you're out there old man! Show yourself!"Voldemort demanded. The only answer he received was another crash of lightening, which glowed in the whites of the Death Eater's eyes. They were standing much closer to him, almost huddling together. The sudden and spooky weather change scared them, but they struggled to hide it. Another flash of lightening struck, this time so neat to them it made their skin tingle from the power of it. And then they saw them. Shadows, shapes, mists.........inking closer through the rain. The Death Eaters and their lord were surrounded.

"Don't just stand there, you pitiful cowards! This is nothing but a parlor trick. Get me Harry Potter!!!" Voldemort's command rang clear, even through the muffling downpour. The fear that had griped his followers lifted. They struck out at the figures.

Unbeknownst to Severus, he sent Harry sailing straight into the strong arms of Bill and Charlie Weasley. They struggled to keep their balance as the beam carrying said boy slammed into their chests, but years of wrestling dragons aided Charlie, and Bill always prided himself on being stronger than he looked. With merely a thought, Dumbledore called up a storm of typhoon proportions. The sheets of rain immediately drowned the fire only seconds after the dark knight fell upon it. With more concentration than he showed, Dumbledore spaced the lightening perfectly to allow Remus Lupin and Molly Weasley to levitate Severus off of the steaming collection of ashes and logs. In the span of another breath, Molly activated a portkey and used it to remove Harry, now detached from the log, and Severus to the Order's new location. Dumbledore didn't even have a second to see if the two were still alive before the portkey whisked them away. But now all Albus had to worry about was Voldemort and his followers.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: I'm soooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry it took me that long to update. To be honest, I really hadn't planned on the story covering a battle, so this has been difficult for me to write. In fact, this chapter is very short because I'm trying to do it justice. So upfront, I'm also apologizing for the length (or lack of) of this chapter. I just really wanted to update before I had to study for more tests. Though, I must say that calculus is a good class for allowing those creative juices to flow. This entire chapter was written in calc. And yes, JDH, I know I have to study. I do my homework in class too. Not at the same time though. That's a whole new level of mulit-tasking that even I am not up to. Anywho, sorry for the ramblings. Thank you for being patient and I hope you enjoy this snippet of a chapter. I will update sooner. I promise. In fact, I've already begun the next chapter. J R/R And thank you for all the reviews! Happy reading.

* * *

The electricity was tangible in the air. The storm had lessened, but the war was still on. Emotions were running high; the power of both parties, palpable.

"You cannot win, old man!" Voldemort's voice called out across the yard. Minerva was able to see his shape through the relenting downpour. While Voldemort was dangerous, she knew that he would attack from plain sight. No, the one she needed to keep an eye on was Malfoy. He strongly believed in guerilla warfare. No honorable face-off. He would take you out from behind given the chance. He was the type to hide in the shadows, never even revealing that he was the attacker: Unless he had a point to prove by killing you. Then he would gloat just before death took you.

As if reading her mind, the downpour abruptly halted, returning visibility. The Death Eaters had crept closer than Minerva realized. Fear of Voldemort appeared to have given them a backbone, small though it may be. Their numbers had grown surprisingly large. The Order had been able to summon the majority of its members, so they were fairly well matched against their foe. Minerva estimated around a total of seventy-five wizards stood on that desolate lawn. Half of them stood brave; chins high, wands at the ready. The other half stood almost huddled in their black robes, cowardly faces hidden behind grotesque, white masks. Their wands were up, but Minerva could see a faint tremble in some of their grips. The only person in that group that wore no mask was Voldemort. His ashen skin clung to his skull, and his red eyes glowed even brighter every time the continuing lightening flashed No trace of the person he once was remained. Only the monster was left.

Minerva half expected to see fangs when he sneered: Sharp, pointy blood-soaked fangs and a bifurcated tongue. Maybe even a tail, hoofed feet, and his wand in the shape of a pitchfork. Okay, so now she was getting carried away. Besides, that's what Lucius looked like. No, Voldemort merely mirrored the snakes he so obsessed after. In her opinion, cats were an animal worthy of obsession and adoration, not snakes. The Egyptians definitely knew what they were doing.

Another thunder clap bought her full attention back to the tarrying battle. She wondered if it would be better or worse for them if the Death Eaters had no masks. It is always easier to attack an enemy you can identify as fallible and mortal. Even though she knew there were people under the masks, they still lent towards a certain monstrosity, welling a small form of primal unease deep within her and the other Order members.

However, if the person behind the disguise was once a trusted friend, secretly betraying all who knew him, the emotional struggle could prove fatal for the one betrayed. But every member of the Order knew this was a possibility. Betrayals were expected. They were as prepared as possible and Minerva really needed to find Malfoy. The dread that ate at her stomach would not let her concentrate on anything else. Mustering the energy and concentration that allowed her to be an animagus and a Transfiguration Expert, she focused and clearly projected, "Aspectus invisus!"

Immediately the white masks began to dissolve, revealing their owners. Many of them looked panicked and horrified at being exposed. Without warning, an orange light blasted out of the midst of their group, heading straight for McGonagall. Before she could react, Tonks and Arthur both shot to deflect it, the combined spells so strong the curse was immediately dissolved in a burst of light. The enemy was unmasked and the first shot had been fired. The war was on.

* * *

A/N: Okay everybody, I have question. I need your opinions. Do you want me to post short chapters frequently, or post longer ones less frequently? I have another mini-chapter written, so do you want to go ahead and put it up, or wait until I've written more? 


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Okay, so I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say how I'm soooo sorry it took so long to update. I honestly had not planned on it taking so long. But I've updated. Yay! And I will get the next chapter up in the next couple weeks. I've already started it. I just can't believe I've been working on this fic for almost 2 years. Thank you soooooooo much to all the readers who have been patient with me!I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm still not too sure about it, so let me know what you think. And if I've made any huge boo-boos, let me know so I can fix them. Happy Reading!

* * *

Voldemort knew this was going to be a pointless battle. He wasn't getting anywhere with the prophecy. That damned boy refused to die! He knew the Harry survived. He could feel him like a cancer inside his head. Voldemort could stand here and kill Dumbledore and his precious followers, but it would prove worthless, except for the fact that the brat would be easier to get to. But he knew that the old fool had Potter back in hiding. That cursed old goat was probably the Secret Keeper as well, so there'd be no disclosing the location. But what if he could trick the boy….again. He knew that flea-ridden, fur ball wasn't dead in the veil. Very few people knew the secrets of that mysterious cloth. Voldemort had expected Dumbledore to know, seeing how everyone assumed he was omnipotent, but perhaps he'd been wrong. The old coot had told all that Black was dead. He should have known better. Through an experiment with one of his former followers, the dark lord had discovered that the veil itself didn't kill you. As far as he could determine, the veil was merely a one-sided door to a strange ethereal realm. No wizard on the planet knew of anyway to get out of that place. But knowing the Boy Wonder, he'd be too pig-headed to listen to the facts. If he found out Black was alive, he'd walk into any trap if he thought it would free the mutt. But for the moment, the Creature Formerly Known as Tom Riddle needed to concentrate on the ensuing battle. Then he would get that Potter brat once and for all.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore had to honestly say he didn't hold many hopes for this battle. Even if they killed every Death Eater present, there's still the matter of the prophecy. Trying to destroy Voldemort now would most likely be fruitless. If he was hit hard, he could just revert to his bodiless form, and be nearly impossible to find for years. If he walked away unscathed, it would merely be a matter of time before he went after Harry again. Dumbledore would give anything to take that responsibility in Harry's stead, but he knew it was impossible. But the boy needed more time. He needed more training, more strength, and more resolve to win this war. Albus didn't know what condition the child was in now. He'd been in the hands of Lucius Malfoy far too long. Stronger men had broken under Malfoy's hand in half the time. Dumbledore was anxious to end this façade of a battle and get back to check on Harry and Severus. Albus silently hoped that Severus would never forgive him for putting him in that position because Albus knew he would never forgive himself. He had taken advantage of Severus' position too many times. Each time he held a faltering hope that it would be the last, they would destroy Voldemort, and Severus could finally get on with his life and be happy. At least as happy as he would allow himself to be. Dumbledore even kept in his pocket at all times a list of potential wives for his son-like friend. He figured he'd start setting up the dates once Voldemort was finally not but a memory. With that in mind, Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard in the world, turned his full attention back to the struggle before him, determined to see the end soon.

* * *

There was no great charge like a war movie would portray. It was more of a slow merging; each member of the separate parties spreading out and choosing their enemy. Minerva had finally located Malfoy and, with a warning shot to his head, let him know she intended to take him out, properly. Glancing to her left, she could see Arthur and Bill Weasley facing off with Goyle and Parkinson. Kingsley had his hands full with Bellatrix, and Tonks, with her neon green hair, was taunting a beastly fellow Minerva vaguely remembered as being a former student. There were curses sailing through the air of the over-crowded yard; enough, in fact, to light it up to give it the look of a garden party instead of a battle. Any muggle-smart wizard would have almost expected to see lanterns strung around the yard. Flashes of blue, green, orange, red and yellow were streaking everywhere.

"Minerva McGonagall…To what do I owe the pleasure of your wrath? Isn't it rather inappropriate to attempt to kill a former student?" Lucius drawled. His eyes held a maniacal look, alerting Minerva to the fact that she had been correct in assuming his mental instability.

"I see you've managed to buy your way out of Azkaban once again." Minerva replied, all the while watching and circling.

"Ah, dearest Professor McGonagall, such blandishments will not work on me. Expelliarmus!"

"You were always too impatient, Lucius." Minerva observed as she deflected the curse to a nearby Death Eater. The Auror he had been dueling looked briefly shocked, then Stupefied the man and quickly broke his wand before moving on to his next opponent. Malfoy looked mildly amused at this display before quickly returning his focus to Minerva.

"That was an extremely Slytherin move, especially for the Head of Gryffindor House."

"You and I both know those houses provide nothing more than Qudditch teams. Any well rounded person would possess qualities that could belong in any of the houses. It is the fools like you that not only hold stock in those ridiculous segregations, but believe you must only act in its stereotypical manner, refusing to grow into a mature being."

"That truly was a marvelous speech, Minerva, but I have no desire to listen to an old bay yammer on about school politics." Lucius may be unbalanced, but he was certainly no moron. He would learn from his previous mistake with McGonagall. He cast a burning spell, and then quickly followed it with a crippling spell. Minerva deflected the first and just barely dodged the second curse, actually getting her robes singed just a bit. She swiftly cast a binding spell at Malfoy which collided mid-air with another one of his. Without thinking, she fired shot after shot at Malfoy, all the while dodging his, her old Quidditch reflexes surfacing. Anyone watching would have been surprised to see a witch of her age move so quickly. Lucius was having a much more difficult time than he expected.

"I'm impressed, Minerva." He said between curses. "I guess it is a good this Dumbledore hasn't yet put you out to pasture." Sliding to his right, Lucius glanced at the light whizzing past his head, and then moved to avoid the next one. However, he took a breath too long, and Minerva's own personal concoction of a paralyzing spell and a sleeping curse hit Malfoy in the leg, square enough to have the desired effect. Lucius hit the ground like a felled tree, and as he did, Minerva accioed his wand and snapped it in two.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I'm sooo sorry it's been forever since I updated. I have already started to next chapter, so it should be up sooner. Hopefully within the next couple weeks. I hope everyone had wonderful holidays. Please review and let me know what you think of this chapter. It helps me figure out where the story is going. Hugs!

* * *

Voldemort sensed everything that was going on around him, but his concentration was solely on Dumbledore. Killing Albus would be a great victory, even if the snot-nosed brat did have the gall to survive and recover. Without his mighty protector, the foolish boy would be an easy target. Not to mention his rash behavior would be uncontrolled so he'd most likely walk into any kind of trap. Oh, to be rid of them both. Voldemort would kill at least one-hundred muggles to celebrate. There would be no stopping him. Then he would eliminate or enslave any who had been Potter's friend, human or otherwise. Firewhiskey all around.

A spell to his immediate left brought Voldemort out of his brief daydream and back to the wizard in front of him. Dumbledore appeared to be completely at ease, but the twinkle was gone from his eye. Who would fire the first shot? Riddle learned his lesson about firing first, but he also knew Albus had an unearthly patience. That man could outwait time itself. Oh no, this would require so much more than mere dueling.

"You will never win this, Tom." The familiar voice calmly stated in his head.

"Who is going to stop me? Especially after I've killed you, old man. Your precious golden child? The One? You know as well as I that he's too weak. He couldn't even kill Bellatrix after she got rid of that mangy mutt. You're not even sure he's alive, even now. He could already be dead meaning I've already won. Face it, you old goat, you haven't got a hope." Voldemort knew Dumbledore heard every work clearly in his mind. As the war raged on around them, they heard only each other with only instincts keeping them out of harm's way.

"That's why you will never win, Tom." There is always hope. There will always be good to fight the evil. Darkness cannot prevail because the sun always rises."

"Endearing sentiments……….really. Sad thing is your foolish followers always buy into it. But you know better, old fool. I can see it in your eyes, feel it in you soul. You know it is all futile. You're weary with age and experience. You can already taste the poison of defeat. It coats your mouth like cotton, leaving every breath that much harder to inhale. You have already accepted Death as your bride. All that is left is to lie with her and Die!"

"Tom, have you underestimated me so? Your great insight into my soul is merely a reflection of yours. You are not strong enough to see my true essence. I show you what I choose. And I choose to show You."

"I do not underestimate Dumbledore. Your mind tricks do not work on me Jedi (…..sorry, wrong story). Your mind games do not work on me, old man. But it is of no importance, because now it's time for you to die."

* * *

While the mental dialogue had raged, the war in the physical world followed suit. There were bodies from both sides piling up. Arthur Weasley watched as Voldemort and Dumbledore circled with eyes locked, neither one making the first move. He could feel the power radiating off the two men: Albus'- warm and comforting; Voldemort's – cool and dreadful. Catching sight of an unknown Death Eater aiming towards Albus, Arthur disabled him quickly, then, dodging curses left and right, made sure the man was unconscious. He quickly proceeded to break the assailant's wand, ensuring that he would be helpless if he woke before the remaining Aurors (who weren't in the Order) arrived to clean up the mess. Granted, most of the Aurors were already on the battle field, fighting with all their might.

Focusing back on the battle, Arthur aimed at a Death Eater advancing upon Charlie from behind, but only clipped him on the shoulder. But that was enough to prevent the ambush on his second-born son. The wounded Death Eater whirled around and snarled at him, and then shot off curse after curse, all of which were easily deflected seeing as how it was the man's wand arm that Arthur had damaged. A few more well-aimed curses from Mr. Weasley fired between his adversary's slow and unstable ones and the cloaked man fell to the ground like a rock. One more down.

Tonks was having an interesting time. Her left arm was numb and she was sure there were going to be muscles that she didn't even know existed hurting in the morning. She had managed to dodge all but a few curses. Thankfully, the one serious curse, Cruciatus, had been ended very quickly when Remus off-ed its caster. Tonks jumped right back into the fight, fending off a couple of goons trying to over-power a wounded Shacklebolt. He, too, just jumped right back into the brawl.

* * *

Minerva had moved into mediwitch role. She was thankful beyond words that Severus had restocked the hospital potions before all the excitement started. The potions were easily carried in an extra layer of her robes; shrunken so she could take a large number of them. She collected the wounded from their side and got them stable, then took them to St. Mungo's. The cases that weren't serious, she would patch up and allow to keep fighting if they so chose. It seemed as if the fates were with them seeing as there was not as large a number of serious wounding as she would have expected. The number of fatalities was even smaller, thank Merlin. The Death Eaters appeared to be nearly dropping like flies. Dumbledore had ordered his followers to only kill if necessary. Minerva wasn't entirely sure that was best, but they are the good guys. There has to be a line drawn somewhere. She knew a few Unforgivables had been cast from their side. But overall, the ground was littered with unconscious Death Eaters and broken wands.

As Miverva attended a new Order member with a broken leg and nasty bump on the head, a curse just missed her head. Looking behind her, she caught sight of Tonks immobilizing her assailant that she vaguely recognized as a former student. Nodding her thanks to Tonks, she finished with the wizard, got him re-oriented and then continued her search for the injured.

No one on either side was quite sure what happened, and when asked, all gave a slightly different version. The only detail that was uniform from all the witnesses was that the air crackled then a burst of power and a great white light threw everyone within one-hundred feet of the incident off their feet. The center of the yard no longer contained two powerful wizards, but merely one. Gasps were inhaled from both sides simultaneously, like a vacuum. Minerva's ears popped as her eyes tried to comprehend the sight in front of her.

First, there was naught but black. Then a distant ringing so faint it may not have even been there. But it was there and it was growing. The ringing continued to grow until it was like the roar of the ocean, bearing down upon anything that dared get in its way. Coupled with the roar was a suffocating pressure, both of which were becoming unbearable. Finally, like a seltzer bottle that had been shaken too much, the energy found its release, a loud gasp echoing in the room.

* * *

"Thank Merlin, Severus!" Before he could even open his eyes, he could feel Molly Weasley's hand on his chest feeling his heartbeat, and wet drops on his face. Mustering all the strength he had, he cracked his eyes open to greeted by a teary-eyed, very exhausted looking matron.

"Severus, I was so afraid you wouldn't come back to us. Thank the fates you're as good at potions as you are. It was your restorative potions that brought you back. Oh, I need to sit down." She was pale and had dark circles forming under both eyes. After catching her breath, Molly got back up from the bedside chair and fetched a vile from the nearby cupboard. All the while, Severus merely focused on breathing in and out. The pressure of blood once again flowing through his veins reawakened the fiery pain that encased his body.

"Here, dear, it will ease the pain." Severus was still too incoherent to think of looking at the damage. His brain had a fog encasing it, inhibiting complete thoughts. He swallowed when the cool potion met his burning throat, and then barely registered Molly's words as he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Harry is stable, thanks to you." Molly wasn't sure if the dark man had heard her before the potion mixed with exhaustion took their effect. She sat down by his bed again, tears running down her face. It had been a miracle that she had mustered enough power to bring him back. His heart had stopped beating for nearly five minutes. Both men had been near death, so Poppy and Molly had both worked non-stop to heal them. Once Harry was stable, Poppy was forced to return to Hogwarts to obtain some desperately needed potions and herbs for both patients. If they hadn't needed to keep both men in hiding, it would have been much easier to heal them. It was a few moments after Madame Pomfrey had left that Severus' heart had stopped while Molly was attending to him. She desperately prayed that Poppy would be back soon, but knew that she had to act immediately. Between raising seven magical children and her brief mediwitch training before getting pregnant with her eldest, her medical knowledge was above novice. She knew her basic and more advanced potions and healing spells. She put every ounce of knowledge and training she had into reviving Severus. It drained nearly all of her energy, but he was alive and seemed to finally be stable. As soon as Poppy returned, she would have to sleep. Even her worry and concern for her husband and sons would not be strong enough to keep her awake. She pulled back the curtain between Harry and Severus and watched the two breathe as she struggled to stay awake.


End file.
